The Trinity Spear
by Lauboo
Summary: Aixela, the brutal dictator of the Imaginary World, has taken control of the Trinity Spear and will stop at nothing to sacrifice the Chosen Three and take control over the Real World....


The Trinity Spear

Part One: The Chosen Three 

VATICAN CITY

31 JULY

12:01 A.M.

All of Vatican city was marred in an unnatural fog that drifted ominously through the lazy streets of Rome from the Tiber River. A thick veil of clouds obscured the visage of the moon and left the city suffocated in a sort of total darkness that not even the many streetlights could lift. Regardless of the hour the lights of St. Peter's Basilica shone brightly light a glorious lighthouse beacon over the Catholic fortress and the vast city that sprawled beneath it's towering peak. The high walls of the citadel shimmered vaguely with the lights of the Swiss Guard as they made their rounds; their flamboyant violet and gold uniforms standing out starkly against the ebony sky. St. Peter's Square was void of activity except for the occasional stay leaf or twig that scuttled across the vast expanse of stone.

A column of black Lexus' slipped silently through the streets of the city towards the Vatican. As they neared the city, they extinguished their headlights and nearly disappeared in the fog. They emerged slowly just outside St. Peter's Square much to the surprise of the Swiss Guards posted at the entrance. One moved swiftly to the driver's side window of the lead car and rapped on the tinted glass. There was silence for a moment before the window slid down almost noiselessly. The inside of the car was vast and dark and the guard leaned a little closer, his eyes straining through the darkness to see the driver.

" You shouldn't be here at this hour," the guard said, " if you wish to visit the city you must come back in the morning."

There was silence.

" You must return in the morning," the guard reiterated, slightly more perturbed.

By this time the other guards have moved towards the lead car and looked anxiously towards Rome. They could not tell where the motorcade ended and where the night began.

" Sir," the guard said, trying to sound more forceful, " the city is closed to visitors until tomorrow. If you wish to enter you must return in the morning."

There was silence. The guard removed a walkie-talkie from his belt and hissed a few short words in Italian. A crackled voice replied before the guard returned the devise to his waist.

" Sir," he was extremely frustrated, " you must leave."

" No," hissed a voice from inside the car.

The guard, so surprised by the voice stumbled backwards from the car a ways before grappling for his flashlight. He shone it into the driver's seat. The light shone upon something sleek and shiny like a piece of black glass. It looked to be a helmet of some kind. The guard swallowed hard hoping to quell the fear that was now boiling up inside him. He heard footsteps and looked back. Twelve more guards were now hurrying towards his position, guns ready. One of them hurried up to the driver's side window and raised his pistol.

" Leave," he declared.

" No," the same voice hissed back.

" If you do not leave I swear that I will shoot you!"

There was a cackle of laughter from inside the car that was booming, menacing, frightening.

" I'd like to see you try!" the voice hissed.

The guard pulled the trigger of his pistol once but the bullet disappeared inside the car with no result. He fired again and again and again through the open window and by the time he had spent the last bullet in his magazine there was another bellow of laughter.

" You Humans do so humor me," the voice hissed, " if only I wasn't so repulsed by you."

There was a low sound almost like a whistle and a splat. The guard had a huge hole blown through his abdomen and a pile of his entrails steamed behind him. He stood for a moment until finally his legs gave way and he tumbled backwards onto his organs with a sickening sound.

" Open fire! Kill them!" came the order.

The guards were not sure if it was an order from them or the people in the car so they fired blindly towards the lead Lexus. Their bullets bounced off the side of the car as if they were b.b.'s. This was followed by a loud crackling sound like a thousand popcorn kernels popping at once and each of the guards fell dead where they stood. A long river of steaming, scarlet blood seeped down into the narrow gaps between the stones and out towards Rome. The driver's side window of the lead Lexus rolled up again and the car moved into the Square. Before long the entire procession of cars halted just outside St. Peter's Basilica. A tall figure emerged from the lead Lexus clad in an entirely black suit that clung close to his skin. He wore a small, shiny, black helmet on his head and a black glass visor was pulled down over where his eyes, nose, and mouth should be. A thin curl of smoke drifted from the end of the long rifle that he held at his side.

From the other cars emerged soldiers dressed in similar uniforms that carried slightly smaller, more stream-lined rifles tight to their shoulders. They fell into line hastily, forming two short columns about twelve men each. They all stood at the same, marginal height and stood motionless. The driver of the lead Lexus walked up casually before them and spoke in a strange language that sounded almost like Morse code.

" The Humans have stored that precious artifact in this citadel for far too long, hoping that we would never find it. But now it is time for their payback," he said, " it is time we show those Humans who they are dealing with!"

A low cheer went up from the assemblage of men before he continued.

" Aixela has made it her top priority to regain control of the Trinity Spear let us not fail her! Kill any Human scum who tries to resist you. Once we have control of the Trinity Spear we must leave this place immediately and return to the Trinity Slab. Let's move!"

" Oi, oi!" grunted the group of men.

With their commander at the lead the column of men moved swiftly towards the Basilica, never breaking formation. Guards at the door crossed their axes before the men.

" Halt. None are allowed to enter…how did you get in…" the man could not finish his sentence before he was shot dead, a thick stream of blood pouring from his skull.

The group of soldiers burst through the door of the Basilica and moved swiftly towards their goal. There was nothing on the surface that was of value to the men though it held a great symbolic value to Human kind. Needless to say they were less than careful as they moved through the sacred citadel. They moved swiftly towards the dimly lit catacombs, the resting site of past popes. They had little need to desecrate the dead but did so anyways as they moved hastily towards the tomb of St. Peter himself. The men halted just before the sacred location and their commander moved ahead. He had to stoop way down so as to not hit his head against the ceiling. He turned his rifle towards the wall and blew a more sufficient hole for him to move through. With ease he threw back the cover of the sarcophagus to reveal the sought after trinket.

Within the casket sat the withered bones of St. Peter and clutched in his ancient fists was a long golden spear with a broad tip. It had been engraved with Latin with the words _With This We Secure Our Safety_. The commander grunted as he ripped the spear from the arms of St. Peter, leaving his bony palms upturned towards the heavens.

" Ridiculous Humans," he bellowed, " who do they think they're dealing with!"

" We have breaking news coming to you this morning out of Vatican City. The details of the incident are still rather fuzzy however we have been told by the Associated Press that a band of armed men stormed into St. Peter's Basilica last night and ransacked the Vatican. Dozens of members of the Swiss Guard were found dead in St. Peter's Square as well as inside the Basilica itself. Various Christian artifacts were destroyed during the raid and a number of the Papal burial places have been disturbed. Vatican officials attempted to calm the public today, assuring them that the Pope had safely been away from the Vatican that evening and that nothing was stolen.

" This is clearly sending shockwaves through the entire Catholic community who are outraged at the event and even more concerned with the fact the Swiss Guard could not hold off such an attack in one of the most heavily protected cities in the world. President Bush was quick to denounce the attacks, calling them a 'brutal act' at a press conference in the Rose Garden this morning. The Bush Administration says that this was most likely not an act of terrorism however they will, along with Italian and Vatican officials, investigate the situation fully. Rest assured that this news station will bring you the latest news as soon as it is released. Meanwhile, the Vatican is telling people not to panic. 'The Pope is entirely safe,' said the Camerlengo, 'and all efforts are being made to ensure his utmost safety.' We will bring you more news as soon as it is available…."

Aires shuddered as he looked at the TV screen. An armed assault on the Vatican? That seemed a little extreme even for terrorists. He doubted highly that Osama bin Laden would order an attack on the Vatican for fear of bring the entire Catholic world down upon him. Regardless, it was a bit unnerving. But as Aires looked back to the news headlines the past few weeks in his head, this seemed like just another strange event in a long string of awkward occurrences around the globe. It began about a month ago when a strange man attempted to break into the White House. This was followed by a massive spike in crime all across Washington, D.C. This was followed by horrible events in New York City. A subway tunnel just plumb gave way during the afternoon rush hour, killing thousands and forcing the shutdown of the subway system. A similar event happened in Boston when the Green Line train inexplicably ran off the tracks near the Bank North Garden, smashing into traffic. In Chicago a high-rise building unexpectedly collapsed and a massive fire broke out in the Sears Tower. In Dallas animals began acting strangely and thousands of cows and bulls were suddenly released into the streets. Aires recalled that about 25 people had been killed in the incident. There was a flood in New Orleans when a small explosion rocked the dam outside the city. Luckily, the entire thing had not given way and many managed to survive. In California a massive string of earthquakes devastated Los Angles, San Francisco, and Oakland. Mount St. Helens unexpectedly erupted with tremendous force not long after. This was enough to have the population getting nervous, many claiming it was a massive terrorist conspiracy. President Bush was quick to point out that the earthquakes and the volcanic eruption were matters of nature and not terror but nevertheless ordered an investigation into the subway incidents as well, the bull incident in Dallas, and the flood in New Orleans. But just when almost the entire country considered it to be terrorism, the strange events spread beyond US borders.

In Canada a massive fire erupted and swept through Ottawa. Similar fires moved through Quebec and Montreal and Vancouver. In Mexico, all fresh water sources were somehow contaminated which led to a massive panic throughout the country. Thousands tried to flee into the US only to be turned away. Water was hurried into Mexico from the US, Canada, and other western nations. In South America the rainforests were burned by massive and uncontrollable wildfires. In Britain, Buckingham Palace was attacked by armed men who nearly killed the Queen and the Prime Minister's residence was raided as well. Strange things happened all over the world from Madrid to Paris to Berlin to Prague to Vienna to Warsaw to Moscow and even beyond to Beijing and Hong Kong. The attack on the Vatican just seemed to close out a horrible month of death, violence, and destruction.

'Dooms-day Experts' were on nearly ever daytime talk show from the Ellen DeGeneres Show to Oprah to Montel calling on all people around the world to repent for the end was near. Some called it a 'selective purge' which Aires found to be an absolutely asinine hypothesis. He had never been a devoutly religious person but he did not buy into the whole 'God is vengeful' ideology. He was sure that God was a wise person who realized that Man had made their mistakes but he was not about to wipe them all away out of anger. Regardless of this, his mother and father were not going to take any chances.

" We just want to be sure," his mother had told him one night at dinner, " I mean, Heaven forbid if something happens around here but if it does we want to have a safe place to go."

Aires shook his head as the remembered this. If they truly bought into the hole Armageddon thing they obviously realized that bottled water, flashlights, and freeze-dried food were not going to stop God's wrath.

_What are they expecting?_ Aires thought to himself, _for all of the nukes in the world to suddenly and unexplainably fire and head directly for us?_

Aires lived in an extremely small town. One of those towns that it was nearly impossible not to bump into someone you knew on the street in a restaurant or at the bank. The people here not the kind of sinners that Aires knew existed elsewhere. This wasn't a mini Vegas this was a small community.

_What would God want to do with this little speck on the map?_ Aires asked himself, _I mean, we have to go two towns over just to go to McDonald's. I'd be surprised if God even knew it existed_.

Aires was happy that he was in high school. He realized that each day when he walked past those heavy glass doors into the main foyer he was not entering the company of real genius. Sure people had their moments but he knew that none of the people there were intellectual enough to even think about what was happening around the globe. Sometimes this vexed him but in such a time he was glad to get his mind off of it for six and a half hours out of the day. But now that it was summer he would spend even longer periods of time exchanging often idiotic pleasantries with his friends, usually forgetting entirely what he had seen on the news in the morning. He knew that today, however, the news would hover in his head all day.

" Aires!" came a call from the kitchen.

Aires turned and saw his mother hanging out of the doorway of the kitchen with the telephone held high over her head.

" Telephone!" she called.

Aires turned off the TV, glad to get a reprieve from the repetitive newscast.

" Who is it?" Aires whispered, his finger held over the mouth piece of the phone.

" Tyler I think…" his mother said in the same low tone, " Your friends all have the same kinda voice."

Aires rolled his eyes as his mother turned back to the stove and put the phone to his ear.

" Hello? Oh hey Tyler. No I'm not doing anything. Uh-huh… uh-huh…un-huh…uh-huh. Okay, I'll be there in like ten minutes. Yeah…see ya."

Aires hung of the phone.

" What a brilliant conversation that must have been," his mother said as she flipped the lone pancake left in the pan.

" Yeah that was Tyler," Aires said, ignoring his mother's initial comment, " I'm gonna go meet him and Jeanne at the park. Is that alright?"

" Yeah sure," his mother said absently.

Aires hesitated, licking his lips slightly before he asked his question. He spoke slowly, leaving long gaps between each word.

" Can…I…um…borrow…the…car…?" he asked.

His mother was silent for a moment as she slipped the last pancake onto a plate for herself. She stood with her back to him for a moment or two before turning to face him. She frowned slightly as she looked at him (she so wished she could go back to the days of when Aires was shorter than she was) and then sighed.

" Yeah, okay. But if you…."

" I know, I know, I'll be careful with the car."

Aires' mother turned back towards the counter and took up a fork, " Keys are by the door."

Aires bolted from the kitchen towards the front door but skidded on the floor just beyond the kitchen doorway and turned back.

" Thanks mom!" he called before bolting forward again.

He fished around through the sea of keys and loose change that say in the bowl by the door before finally scooping up the right key and hurrying out the door. It was not far from his house to the park, Aires could have just as easily walked to taken his bike but he preferred the thrill of being behind the wheel of a car, particularly his father's car. His parents had assured him that they wood indeed buy him a car however his father stressed patience.

" You have to learn to appreciate other peoples' cars before you can have on of your own," he had said, " you have to know what it feels like to be _without_ a car before you can get one."

After seven months of having his license Aires often wondered when exactly he would learn this particular lesson. His father continually avoided the subject.

Aires deliberately took South Street to get to the park rather than take the easiest route across High Street and over the Park Street because he knew that South street led parallel to the park. This meant that he could roll up on his friends while they sat waiting for him. He thought that this had more elegance and a greater cool factor then just pulling up to them on Park Street. It was a slightly longer route but there was less traffic. Aires resisted the urge to push past 30 mph as he was the only one on the road but his better judgment meant his foot did not push down any harder on the accelerator.

Tyler was already there but Jeanne was not. His slumped slightly in his seat as he slid to a stop in front of Tyler. He had rather hoped that Jeanne would have been there to witness the event and for a split second considered driving past Tyler and looping back around towards the park. But Tyler had already seen him by the time he had slowed down so it just would have made him look like a total fool. He put the car into park and exited to meet Tyler.

" Sic whip," Tyler said.

Aires didn't especially enjoy modern slang.

" Yeah," Aires said.

" Is it yours?"

Aires raised one eyebrow, " Would you believe me if I said yes?"

Tyler shook his head, " Doubt it, dude."

" Well, it's my Dad's. He's away on business this week. Jeanne here yet?"

" Naw she should be here soon though, I called her on my cell phone the way over. Said she was gettin' a ride from her sister or sumthin'."

A blue Toyota approached the park on Park Street.

" That's her," Aires said.

Aires and Tyler had known Jeanne for an awful long time, since they were in the second grade. Jeanne had lived next door to Aires for a number of those years and it was only recently that she had moved across town.

Her brother's car came to a stop not far from Aires' and the passenger door opened slightly. There was a little commotion in the front seat and then she emerged. The summer sun shone brilliantly exactly where she emerged from the car and it seemed as though the sun were only shining on her. She had magnificent black hair that tumbled, smooth as silk, just below her shoulders. She had on a pale blue Hollister t-shirt that just off just above her mid-drift, exposing her tanned stomach, and a pair of cut-off shorts that stopped quite high of the knee.

" That was a better entrance than you dude," Tyler whispered in Aires' ear.

Aires jabbed him hard in the ribs. He grunted, kicked Aires in the shin, and then stepped a little ways back from him. Jeanne waved goodbye to her brother who sped off down the street. She smiled brightly when she saw Aires and Tyler and waved enthusiastically.

" Hey guys!" she said.

Her voice was gentle and sweet, almost like birdsong. Aires was a little short of words. He had not seen her since school let out in June and in that short amount of time she had managed to get a significant tan that gently browned her skin and she also seemed to have grown an inch or two.

" Er—hi!" Aires said.

Tyler, still rubbing his ribs looked up, smiled slightly, and waved like the Queen.

" What's wrong with him?" Jeanne asked, frowning slightly.

" Nothing…" Aires said innocently.

" Bull," Tyler grunted.

" What?" Jeanne asked.

" I said…" Tyler began, but when he caught sight of Aires' fierce glare he changed his story, " …nothing. I didn't say nada."

Jeanne raised one eye brow suspiciously and then shrugged, " You guys are nuts."

Aires grinned, " You're just as crazy."

" You guys rub off too easy," Jeanne said, " especially Tyler. I gotta try everyday not to say _whip_ instead of _car_ or _sic_ as opposed to _cool_."

" Hey!" Tyler said indignantly, " everybody talks like me. I invented the word sic and I was saying whip long before any o' those crazy-ass rappers were."

" Riiight," Aires said.

Jeanne giggled and Tyler looked rather flushed for a second. Aires was shocked to even consider that Tyler was embarrassed but decided to make the best of the situation.

" You okay there Tyler?" he asked.

" Erm—yeah. I'm just…it's kinda hot out don't you think?" Tyler said.

Jeanne looked over at Aires with a little smile before she replied, " You bet. It's a scorcher today."

Tyler, believing he had gotten away with the lie stood to his full height and puffed out his chest, " Nuthin' I can't handle."

" So what do you guys wanna do?" Jeanne asked.

" We could take a walk over to the Dairy Queen or something…" Tyler said.

" We could drive," Aires said expectantly, wanting to flaunt his driving ability.

" Naw, we should walk," Jeanne said, " it's really nice out."

Aires, slightly disheartened agreed anyways and carried on down the road with Tyler and Jeanne. The Dairy Queen was down the street from the park but, as always during the summer, it was extremely crowded by the time the three got there. A long line stretched out in the parking lot from the main window and weaved amongst the cars. There were a few picnic tables that were spread out underneath a tall tree on the side of the building and the tree decided to sit down before getting into the nightmare of a line.

Tyler stretched his arms out wide and yawned, " I'm tired today."

" Your tired everyday," Jeanne pointed out in a rather, matter-of-fact way.

" Well I was up late last night partyin' so…" Tyler said.

Aires snorted, " What party?"

" Oh just a little place the next town over."

" Oh really? Where exactly was it?" Aires asked.

Tyler leaned forward towards Aires, " The house where my cousin's friend lives."

" And how did you merit and invitation?" Jeanne asked.

Tyler seemed slightly confused and chose the explanation that he thought would make more sense, " Well I know the kid too, I met him once or twice so he said I could go."

" Were you drinking?" Jeanne asked.

Aires knew that Tyler, no matter what he may say, did not drink or smoke but Tyler liked the image that was created when he said that he did.

" Well…" he said, " just a little."

" How'd you get there? You don't have a car," Aires said.

Tyler thought of a snappy comeback but thought better of it, " My cousin drove."

" Did you cousin drink?" Jeanne asked.

" A little bit," Tyler said truthfully, " but I'm still alive so he didn't do too bad."

Jeanne shook her head, " Just for that, you can go get us some ice cream."

" Wha? Why me?" Tyler asked indignantly.

" Because you were in a car with a drunk person, you shouldn't do that."

" He wasn't drunk," Tyler replied, " I mean it was just…like…two beers."

" Meh, you can get the drinks anyways," Aires said.

Tyler sighed and stood up, " You better pay me back."

He shuffled out across the parking lot to the back of the line and cast what were supposed to be fierce glares back at Jeanne and Aires but which, in the end, turned out to be comical.

" He's such a goof," Jeanne said.

" I don't remember you saying that when you went out with him," Aires said.

" Ugh, don't bring that up," Jeanne said, " I was young and stupid."

Aires shrugged, " It was seventh grade. That was only four years ago."

" Well, I've matured a lot since then," Jeanne said.

Aires found himself thinking of how she had matured.

" Besides," he added, breaking Aires' happy day dream, " I didn't say anything when you went out with Sandy Baker."

" Yeah but that was before she became a…well, a…."

" Slut?"

" Yeah, that's it. I mean she liked me and I figured what the hell? I wasn't dating anyone."

" Yeah but Joanne Murphy liked you too," Jeanne pointed out.

" She did?" Aires asked quizzically, " I didn't know that."

" You don't remember the notes she left in your locker? The ones that had the two lips drawn on them in colored pencil?"

" Those were from Joanne Murphy?" Aires asked.

Jeanne nodded.

" How do you know for sure?" Aires asked.

" She told me."

" She told _you_? Why'd she tell you?"

Jeanne sighed, " Well she sat behind me in Spanish and she didn't have any friends at the time so she talked to me a lot. Plus the teacher always put us in a group. She thought I was her friend."

" Damn," Aires said sullenly, " I could have been dating Joanne Murphy?"

" But that was _long_ before she became who she is today," Jeanne said.

" Yeah, the hottest girl in the whole school," Aires said, cursing himself inwardly.

" Well I don't think 'hottest' is the exact adjective that I would use to describe her."

" Well you're a girl, of course you're gonna say that."

Tyler hadn't moved much in the past five minutes, he had only shifted up six positions and there were still about twenty ahead of him.

" Well I just figure that there is more to a relationship than just how someone looks," Jeanne said.

Aires shrugged, " But the looks really help."

" I'm surprised at you Aires," she said disapprovingly, " I figured you to be a deeper guy than that."

" I am, I am," Aires said, " It's just that I haven't been out with anyone since Sandy Baker and she was ugly as a dog. I don't think I've ever gone out with someone whose actually pretty by other people's standards."

" Still," Jeanne said, " you shouldn't look at just that."

" Trust me I don't," Aires said.

Aires felt suddenly rather uncomfortable. They had just broached a rather touchy subject and Aires didn't want to say more than he should so he sat silently, gazing over at the blue Mustang convertible in the far corner of the parking lot.

" If I had just gone after looks," Jeanne said, " I would never had gone out with Tyler."

Aires looked over and saw Jeanne smiling widely and he began to chuckle. By the time Tyler had arrived with the drinks Aires was outright laughing at Tyler's expense.

" What?" Tyler asked as he sat down.

" Erm—nothing," Jeanne said, taking up her drink.

To cover his laugher, Aires pretended that he had been coughing and had to take a sip of his drink. He found it hard to get a big enough gulp from his frappe as the chocolate ice cream was blocking the straw.

" So tell me about that party there Tyler," Aires said, " were there any girls?"

Tyler grinned, " You betcha. Bunches of them."

" You get any phone numbers?" Jeanne asked, still smirking slightly.

" Yeah I got a few but I know that I'm gonna call one for sure, I'll probably leave the other ones hanging for a bit."

" That's nice very nice of you, Tyler," Jeanne said, " you should call all of them."

" Oh I will, just…you know… not all at once. There was this really nice blonde one that I saw there and I got her number so I'll probably call her first."

Jeanne clucked disapprovingly and shook her head, " What is it with you guys and blondes? What is it some kind of fetish?"

Tyler shrugged, " I dunno they just tend to be hotter."

" So answer me this then: if there are two girls, both very pretty and one had blonde hair and the other had—let's say—red hair. Which one would you ask out?"

" The blonde probably," Tyler said, grinning slightly.

Jeanne looked towards Aires for support but Aires just shrugged.

" I can't really take sides in this debate," Aires aid, " but I'd probably have to go with Tyler on that one."

Jeanne sighed, " Fine, he's another question. Lets say there are two pretty girls at a party and one of them has brown hair and one of them has red hair, which one would you choose?"

Tyler massaged his non-existent goatee, " Which one has bigger boobs?"

Jeanne smacked Tyler hard on the arm.

"Ouch!" Tyler whimpered, rubbing his arm, " that hurt."

" Good," Jeanne said, " you deserve it."

Tyler looked over at Aires and then back at Jeanne, " Why, what did I do?"

" You didn't _do_ anything," Jeanne said, " you _said_ something."

" What about the boobs?"

Jeanne smacked him hard again.

" Ouch! Why are you doing that? Is if because of the boob thing…OUCH!"

Jeanne punched Tyler hard in the shoulder and cause him to drop his drink to the table. He massaged it furiously and looked over to Aires for support. Aires kept his eyes moving around, looking at the table, then the tree, then the convertible, then the traffic zooming by the distance.

Tyler took his frappe and rested it against his arm where Jeanne had hit him before she spoke, " Fine I won't say anything more about a girl's…uh…chest region."

Jeanne looked as though she was going to hit Tyler but must have decided against it and then took a drink of her frappe. A rather cool wind blew through the parking lot but the sun bore down fiercely on the black asphalt parking lot. When the wind stopped, Aires could feel the heat that was building beyond their protective canopy of shade and knew it would be a long and hot walk back to the car so he decided to take as much time as possible with his frappe. The conversation was a little dead after that until finally Tyler, of all people, broke the silence.

" You hear about that thing that happened at the Vatican?" he asked.

Aires sighed inwardly know that this would most likely spiral out of control.

" No," Jeanne said, " what happened?"

" It was nothing," Aires interjected.

" Well I'd say that guys with guns breaking into the Vatican is something," Tyler said.

" What!" Jeanne exclaimed, " did they kill the Pope?"

" No," Aires interjected again, " he was away when they broke in."

" Well did they steal anything?" Jeanne asked.

" Well…" Tyler began.

" No," Aires interjected, " nothing was stolen but they said that the gunmen, whoever they were, really vandalized some Vatican artifacts while they were inside."

" Well where did these people go?" Jeanne asked.

" Nobody knows," Aires said, " they just disappeared into Rome."

Aires was already tired of the conversation and wished he had a time machine so he could go back and keep Tyler from bring it up. He tried to close his eyes hoping that maybe, just maybe, he'd be able to go back in time but when he opened his eyes all that greeted him were the puzzled faces of Jeanne and Tyler.

" What the hell are you doing?" Tyler asked, " prayin' or something?"

" Erm—no," Aires said, " I was just…ah…doing…I was just…nothing."

Jeanne frowned, " You okay?"

" Yeah I'm fine," Aires said, in a sudden urge to finish off his frappe extremely early, " I guess the heat got to me or something."

" Oh," Jeanne said, her expression softening slightly, " okay. Maybe we should go somewhere it's air conditioned."

" How about the mall?" Tyler asked.

Jeanne looked over at Aires, " Will you drive?"

" Sure," Aires said, thrilled that not only could he drive but also that the topic had been changed.

The three of them walked at varying paces as they moved back towards Aires' car. They were move hastily through the sunny spots and more slowly through the nicely shaded parts of the pavement. Jeanne kicked small pebbles with the edge of her shoe as she moved ahead.

" Well look at that," Jeanne said, stopping on the sidewalk.

" What is it?"

" Look at the pavement," Jeanne said.

" What? It's just some stupid stuff that the construction people sprayed," Tyler said.

" Yeah but look what it says," Jeanne said, twisting her head slightly.

Aires looked down at the slab of pavement, twisting his head into an uncomfortable position to see the word properly. In narrow, shaky spray paint the world _Trinity_ was scrawled on the slab of gray cement.

" Trinity?" Aires asked.

" So?" Tyler said, " what does it matter. What the hell is trinity?"

" It's a religious thing Tyler," Jeanne said resting her hand on his shoulder and looking at him as if he were two years old, " but I wouldn't expect you to understand."

Tyler tugged his shoulder away with a frown, " I ain't stupid Jeanne."

" No, of course not," Jeanne said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice that apparently only Aires picked up on.

" What's the big deal, Jeanne?" Aires asked.

Jeanne shrugged, still looking down at the sidewalk, " I dunno, it's just sort of interesting."

Tyler rolled his eyes and groaned, " Yeah, that's _really_ exciting Jeanne…. It's just the sidewalk."

Tyler pushed back Jeanne on his way to the car, purposely slamming his foot on the slab of pavement. He shuddered slightly as he moved past Aires towards the car. Jeanne stepped carefully around the slab and walked after Tyler towards the car with Aires right behind her. Aires was rather disappointed that none of his friends made a comment about his driving skills as they made their way too and from the mall. Aires noted an awkward change in Tyler since they had left the park…he was not his usual talkative self but instead walked rather sluggishly behind Aires and Jeanne. He noted something odd about Jeanne as well who looked far down the massive corridor that ran through the center of the mall as if in deep thought.

" Did you see what happened?" Aires' mom asked as he dropped the car keys into the small bowl by the door.

" What?" Aires asked.

" India," Aires heard the small voice echo through the living room.

His little brother sat on the reclining chair in the corner. He had extended the leg rest as far out as it could go. He had the remote control in his hand and was flipping mindlessly through the channels.

" India? Isn't dad in India?" Aires said.

Aires' mother nodded but said nothing. There was a strange silence for a moment before she turned to Aires' little brother.

" Jason put it on the news, I want Aires to see this."

" Why? I'm watching TV."

" Don't be a pain Jason. Just put it on the news station."

Jason ignored her and continued flipping through the channels. Aires walked over to the chair and punched Jason hard in the shoulder.

" OUCH!" Jason exclaimed, rubbing his arm violently, " what the hell was that for?"

" You know what it was for," Aires said.

Jason looked over to his mother for help but she wasn't paying attention. Jason groaned and grudgingly flipped the channel to the news station. A long-faced anchor sat, sullen-looking, with a bunch of papers scattered across the desk in front of her. She stared blanking into the camera.

" For those of you just joining us we have some breaking news coming from India," she said solemnly, " a devastating fire has erupted in India's capital of New Delhi. It is believed that the fire began in an isolated part of the city but has grown uncontrollably and now has consumed nearly half of the city. Fire fighters have not been able to get a handle on the fire and massive evacuations have been ordered by the Indian government. India is in the middle of one of the worst droughts in the history of the country and no rain is expected for at least another week. We have obtained a live feed from the city via the Associated Press and we bring it to you now. I warn you that some of these images may be graphic…."

A tall, lanky reporter with a soot-tarnished face was hurrying around through a long, narrow street that was blacked with ash. He did his best to look concerned but he was of little assistance to the huddle masses of people hurry past him. He pointed into the distance where a huge ball of fire exploded sending a huge plume of smoke high into the air and debris scattering.

"…a massive explosion…hope people weren't in it," the man said.

The view suddenly switched to a helicopter view that looked over the city. It was a rather awe-inspiring sight to see. Half of the city glowed and twitched with a deep orange light and thick clouds of smoke shot high into the air. Huge black masses of people could be see fleeing with anything that they could gather out of the city and the brave few who moved back into the city to fight the fire.

" Is dad alright?" Aires said suddenly, he hadn't even realized what he had said when his mother replied.

" Oh, yes," she said with a forced laughter, " he called not too long ago and said that the conference had been moved to Halubabmaboob the day before."

" Where?" Aires said.

" Oh I'm not good with foreign names," his mother said, " that's what it sounded like when he called, there was a lot of static on the line."

" Oh."

Aires was struck by a massive wave of relief and he suddenly realized that he was gripping the couch cushion with a little too much force. He slowly relaxed his grip and slid into a position on the couch.

" Ugh, Dad's fine can I please turn the channel?" Jason asked miserably.

Their mother sat there silently for a moment, looking grim as he looked at the TV. Then she blinked, shook her head slightly and then looked over to Jason.

" Oh, yes—um—go ahead Jason. Dinner will be ready soon."

Muva stooped low, removing his helmet and resting it on the cold floor beside him. He stared silently at the jagged cracks that spread through the stone floor and the tufts of slimy moss that jutted out from them. He waited for his cue to speak.

" Muva," said a raspy voice, " why have you come here?"

A narrow slash of golden light born from a flaming torch jammed into a bracket on the wall. It illuminated off an raised, stone platform. A narrow row of small steps led up to the peak of the platform where a massive throne sat. The throne sat on a thick, stubby column. It was covered in ancient and curious calligraphies that recounted the history of the Imaginary World. The throne slowly turned on the column towards Muva. A tall woman sat her arms resting gently on this thick armrests of the throne. Her hands rested on top of two massive, stone snake heads that jutted from the edge of the armrests. The tongues of the snakes curled up between two massive fangs that looked as evil and as menacing as the real thing. The woman's complexion was pale, almost ghostlike and her eyes were obscured behind thin-framed sunglasses that were fused into the skin of her face. Her nose was long and pointy and her lips were black. The tips of two small fangs hung over her lower lip, they were rust-colored, stained with fresh Human blood. Her fingernails were long and extremely sharp. She was clad in a flowing dark-blue dress that flowed off of her legs like a waterfall and collected on the floor beneath the throne.

" Aixela," Muva said in a low tone, " I bring news from the Real World."

Aixela leaned forward slightly in her throne, " Oh?"

" Yes my Lord," Muva said.

" What is this news?" she asked, her voice elevating slightly.

" My Lord," Muva began, " me and my men have recovered the Trinity Spear."

There was silence for a moment and Muva kept his eyes fixated on the floor. Aixela rose with a little difficulty from her throne and stepped carefully towards Muva's side.

" You have done well my most faithful servant," Aixela said, resting her hand on Muva's shoulder.

" Thank you my Lord," Muva said.

" Come then," Aixela said, " let us see what you have brought forth."

Muva stood and tucked his helmet underneath his arm. Aixela's chamber was a large room with a high, domed ceiling. There were no windows and only a few torches illuminated the entire room with a dull, hazy glow. Her throne rested in the center of the room and there was only one entrance and exit. The main door was constructed a thick pieces of steel riveted together and stood impressively high over Muva and Aixela, almost to the ceiling of the room. The massive handle that hung from the door was in the shape of a thick snake that grasped onto it's own tail.

Aixela approached the door. She raised her hands above her head, threw back her head and let out a long series of hisses like a furious snake. The snake handle released it's grip on it's tail and slithered towards the massive lock on the door. It pulled back the heavy lock and the door began to heave slowly open on it's massive hinges. As Aixela and Muva moved passed the door the snake slipped back into place a hollow thud signaled that lock had been replaced.

Muva took up a torch from the wall and took the lead ahead of Aixela down the seemingly endless corridor. Overhead, flying buttresses crisscrossed, supporting an arched roof. After a long walk they emerged into a junction where seven hallways crossed each other. It was a large plaza with a flam-tipped column standing at each column. Muva continued ahead until finally the two emerged into a massive stairway. The banisters were actually massive snakes that wound along the widening stairway. Flanking the main stair where two more stairways that led downward into the dark bowels of the citadel. The hall was lined with soldiers, their rifles held tightly to their shoulders as Aixela moved past. Finally the pair walked up to a small, slightly ajar door.

Muva shoved the door open.

" Attention!" he barked.

The soldiers inside tightened their figure as Aixela moved into the room. Her eyes immediately fell upon the golden box that sat in the center of the room. She moved up beside it immediately, running her hand across the smooth surface of the box. Muva pulled back the lid and revealed the golden spear sunk into a bed of silky, purple velvet. She seized it in her hand and ran her fingers across the smooth gold. Her nail skidded across the Human words engraved into it.

" Those nasty Humans," she bellowed, " how dare they foul this mighty object with their foul tongue. I want those dastardly words removed immediately."

" Yes my Lord," Muva said.

" Very well," Aixela said, holding the spear firmly in her hand, " at least I have it. Finally the Real World will face it's punishment for it's horrible deeds!"

Muva was silent for a moment before he spoke, " My Lord?"

" What is it Muva?" she hissed.

" Our mission is not yet complete," he said.

Aixela looked confused, " What do you mean Muva?"

Muva swallowed hard and carefully chose his words, " The spear requires three things to make it work correctly."

" What there things!" Aixela howled fiercely, her hand moving towards Muva's throat.

" Three Humans," Muva said quickly, stepped back from his master slightly.

Aixela had not noticed and snatched angrily at the air.

" Humans?" she bellowed, " Humans?"

" Yes my Lord," Muva said, trembling slightly.

Aixela seemed to be pondering the situation momentarily as she still held the spear in her hand. Suddenly she hissed fiercely.

" What Humans?" she asked.

Muva licked his lips, " We do not know, my Lord."

Aixela seized Muva by the neck and tightened her grip. Muva felt his eyes bulging from their sockets and the breath dissipating from his lungs. He chocked for air as best he could but Aixela's tight grip denied it's entry to his lungs. His vision slowly blurred. Finally Aixela released him, sending him tumbling to the floor at her feet, gasping fiercely for air.

" Find them," Aixela said, not noticing Muva's attempt to breathe, " find them and bring them here."

" The Humans?" Muva asked hoarsely.

" Yes damn you!" Aixela hissed, " find them and bring them to me."

" Yes, my Master," Muva said, slowly recovering.

Aires sat silently in bed, staring up at the his ceiling. The fan spun silently and it, accompanied with the air conditioner kept the room comfortably cool. But his mind was not preoccupied with that. His mind was distant, thinking about his father in India and the horrible fire that he had seen on the news. An entire city burning to the ground as he lay in bed. He felt a slightly pang of guilt in the pit of his stomach but it was quickly dashed with feelings of worry. Now, on top of all of the weird things that had happened to the world, Aires could add a massive city fire to the list. Aires wondered what was happening or why. He suddenly began thinking of the words inscribed on the sidewalk. He suddenly had the same interest that Jeanne had had as they passed by it. Why had Tyler shuddered when he had walked across it?

Aires tried to force himself into sleep but failed. Finally, he forcibly silenced the man speaking in his head and closed his eyes. He remained awake for at least another half and hour, however, before he finally fell asleep.

When he awoke in the morning he felt his head pounding violently. He massaged his temples furiously as he rose to get into the shower. He hoped that the hot water would be enough to subdue the throbbing in his head but it seemed to only intensify it. After dressing he went downstairs for breakfast, still rubbing his head. The pain was broadening from his temples to his forehead.

" Good morning Aires," his mother said enthusiastically as he took a seat at the bar.

There was a plate of pancakes and a plate of eggs already laid out on the table, heaped with food. Jason was already awake, sitting at the kitchen table, shoveling food down his throat at breakneck speed.

" Jason slow down, you'll choke."

" No I won't mom," Jason said through bites of egg and pancake.

" Aires what's wrong with your head?" his mother asked as she flipped a pancake in the pan.

" Nothing. Mom, don't you think you have enough food out already?"

His mother shook her head, " You never have enough food. What's wrong with your head?"

" Nothing. It's just a headache."

She furrowed her brow and slid a golden-brown pancake onto the plate beside Aires and laid down an empty one before him. Aires scooped some egg and pancake onto his plate with a fork with one hand while massaging his head with the other.

" I'll get you some aspirin," she said.

" I'm sure it will go…" but by the time those words had escaped his mouth, Aires' mother was already around the corner and out of the kitchen.

She hurried back a few moments later with a small bottle of Tylenol. She popped the cap effortlessly with her long nails and handed it over to Aires who gulped it down with some water.

" Eat, eat, eat," Aires' mother said.

Aires ate obligingly but was hardly interested he finished his eggs and a few bites of pancake until his mother was entirely satisfied before he left the kitchen and went upstairs. He lay out on his bed, trying to coax the intense pain in his head. It felt almost like someone had slammed a sledge hammer against his head. The aspirin did little to stop to pain but it made it to where it was bearable. When the telephone rang it was like someone had stuck his head inside a great big bell and slammed on it hard. He answered it quickly before another ring could register and held the phone an inch or so from his ear.

" Hello who's…oh, hi Jeanne. No, I'm not doing anything…uh-huh…okay…is Tyler coming? Oh, okay. I'll pick you up in," Aires looked at his watch, " twenty minutes. Okay…yeah…ha, ha…bye."

He hung up the phone carefully and slowly rose from his bed. He walked over to his dresser and looked at the mirror that rested on the floor beside it. It was a small mirror but it was tilted in such a way that he could see his entire figure if he stood in just the right way. He felt rather awkward looking at himself in the mirror and critiquing his clothing; it felt rather… un-masculine. He was wearing a blue Polo shirt and tan shorts. He frowned slightly and then sighed. He moved over to the dresser and removed another shirt and pulled it on, tossing the blue Polo shirt back into the bed. He stepped back in front of the mirror and inspected himself again. This worked slightly better so he left his room and headed back down to the kitchen. Jason was sitting in the living room playing with his Playstation 2. His lips were slightly parted as a small trickle of drool was forming at the corner of his mouth. His eyes were vacant and all of his attention was focused on the TV screen. Aires' mother was still in the kitchen, cleaning up breakfast.

" Can I borrow the car again?" he asked.

" Oh, fine," she said, not looking up from the sink, " when will you be back?"

" I dunno, maybe…like…three o'clock?"

" Okay. Have fun."

Aires grinned and hurried past the living room and snatched up the keys in the bowl by the door. He took a second to check his hair in the mirror by the door before getting into the car. Aires wondered why he was caring so much. He had known Jeanne for a long time. But then again he had not spent a lot of one-on-one time with her in their fifteen year history, Tyler seemed to always be there and usually, Jeanne and Aires' one-on-one situations were rather awkward. He was determined that this time would be different. His head was still throbbing when he slowed to a stop just in front of Jeanne's house.

She had a very big and beautiful house. It was an old, blue, Colonial house with pristine white shutters. The garden and the yard were always clean, well tended, and well trimmed. Jeanne opened the front door before Aires had passed the first step to her door. She turned back to the house for a second, said something inaudible, and then turned back towards Aires. She smiled brightly as she moved down the steps towards him.

" Madame," Aires said, bowing comically before her.

She giggled, " That's quite enough, Aires."

" So where'd you want to go?" Aires asked as he started the car.

" Let's go to the mall again, I say an outfit there that I wanted to check out."

" You go it," Aires said as he pulled away from the curb.

It was about a twenty minute drive to the mall under normal traffic conditions. Today, however, traffic was exceptionally light and they got to the mall in only about fourteen minutes. The mall was quite an impressive sight to see. It was a massive white building and dominated the surrounding terrain of rather small retail stores. It was almost like a citadel rising from the countryside and it was a Mecca to shoppers young and old.

The inside of the mall was vast. A main corridor ran through the center of the mall and it was chocked this throngs of shoppers. Aires licked his lips slightly as he attempted to broach yesterdays subject, he felt a sudden urge to learn more about the curious piece of pavement.

" So that was some fun time yesterday?" Aires asked.

Jeanne nodded but her mind was clearly elsewhere. Aires sighed inwardly and decided he needed a more persuasive question to get her talking.

" It was such a hot walk back from the Dairy Queen," he said casually.

Jeanne showed almost no reaction.

After a long and somewhat awkward silence she spoke, " Yeah. I haven't really felt like myself since yesterday."

Aires was intrigued, " Really? How?"

" I dunno really but I woke up with a _huge_ headache."

" Me too," Aires said.

" Tyler said he felt really under the weather, that's why he didn't come today."

" Let me guess," Aires said, " he had a headache?"

Jeanne nodded, " That's so strange that this happens to all three of us. I wonder if anyone else that went to that Dairy Queen yesterday got a headache."

" Do you think it was the food?" Aires said, wincing slightly as a sudden pain shot through the nape of his neck.

" What else could it be? I mean, I didn't have a headache before that," Jeanne said, massaging her nape gently.

" Maybe it was that…thing," Aires sent tentatively.

Jeanne looked at him with a puzzled expression, " What are you talking about?"

" You know," Aires said, " that piece of pavement in the sidewalk…."

" Don't be silly Aires," Jeanne said, " it was cool is all, it's not like it has supernatural powers."

Aires was disappointed but continued anyways, " But why was trinity written on it? Of all the words in the world it has to be trinity. What does trinity have to do with sidewalk construction?"

Jeanne shrugged, moving towards the entrance of a clothing store; a reluctant Aires in tow.

" I don't really know Aires," she said after they had entered the store, " just a coincidence."

" How is that a coincidence?"

Jeanne shrugged, clearly more interested in the top that she had pulled from the hanger, "Maybe it wasn't supposed to say trinity. Maybe that's just what it looked like to us. Maybe it was supposed to say…Trinty."

Aires was deeply disappointed at this observation. Trinty was a local construction company that had a tendency to spray-paint it's name into it's projects. Aires searched through his mind, looking for any way to refute what he Jeanne had said but she was clearly not interested in the topic anymore. The rest of the day was uneventful and Aires didn't bring up the subject of the strange world scrawled on the pavement. His headache faded slightly, or perhaps he was too busy to notice it still hurt but after he dropped off Jeanne the same burning pain began burning through his head. As Aires pulled into the driveway he noted a strange black Lexus parked in the driveway. He pulled up beside it and looked curiously at it as he passed by it towards the house. The windows where tinted and it was nearly impossible to see behind the glass. Aires was not sure if the driver of the vehicle was still in the car and staring back at him so he simply looked into the windows casually as he passed by.

Aires dropped the keys into the bowl by the door and walked down the hall towards the kitchen. Jason was nowhere to be found but his controller still sat on the couch and his game was paused. He swallowed as he walked silently as he could to the kitchen. He heard voices as he approached but he couldn't hear what they were saying. He moved carefully around the corner into the kitchen and say a man clad in a clean-pressed black suit and tie with sunglasses over his eyes sitting at the kitchen table. Aires' mother sat across from him and Jason sat unenthusiastically at the head of the table, spinning his spoon about violently in what looked like a cup of hot chocolate in front of him.

" Jason, stop that please…. Oh, Aires!"

The three in the kitchen were suddenly alerted to Aires' presence.

" Finally!" Jason said enthusiastically, " can I go back to my game?"

" Yes, very well Jason."

Aires moved out of the way as Jason plowed past him like a speeding train. Aires stood, rather standoffish, looking at the man in the suit.

" Aires," his mother said, " this is Mister…."

" Rawlins," the man in the suit said in a low, almost hiss-like voice.

" Yes, yes right," Aires' mother continued, " he is an admissions man from…."

" Middlebury College," the man completed.

Aires was slightly confused, " But I didn't know anyone would be coming…."

" You applied to Middlebury right Aires?" Aires' mother asked.

" Yeah…but…" Aires sputtered, " nobody said that an admissions person would be coming…."

The man swallowed a lot of coffee rather quickly as if he was trying to come up with an excuse why he was here. Finally, after he rested the empty mug back on the table he spoke.

" Yes, well we like to catch people and their most uninhibited. No prepared speeches or slideshows. We like to catch people in a situation where they would be themselves."

" Right…" Aires said, " so that means…what?"

The man's eyes buried into Aires like lasers from behind the sunglasses and Aires felt slightly hot and awkward.

" Would you like some more coffee Mr. Rawlins?"

" No," the man said bluntly, still looking at Aires. He paused before continuing, "Perhaps we should reschedule this for next week if it is such an inconvenience for you. Goodbye."

Before either of them could say anything, the man in the suit had hurried out the room. Aires followed him at a slower pace and watched him through the window in the door as he walked down the driveway towards his car. He spoke inaudible words into his cufflink before getting into his car and speeding off down the road.

" Now look what you did," Aires' mother said firmly, " now you may have messed up your chances with a college."

" I doubt that mom," Aires said, " when was the last time you say an admissions guy dressed in a black suit with sunglasses?"

Aires mother shrugged, " I don't know exactly, Aires. The last time I saw an admissions agent was…oh…twenty five years."

" You're that old?" Aires said sarcastically.

Aires' mother frowned but spoke as if she had not heard it, " I was planning on ordering out for dinner tonight because I don't want to cook. Do you want a pizza or something?"

" Yeah sure," Aires said.

" What kind of topping?"

Aires felt pain throbbing in his head again, " Surprise me. I'm gonna go up to bed for a bit. Let me know when dinner gets here."

Without another word Aires hurried up the stairs to his room.

Muva stopped the car in a secluded back street and cut off the ignition. He removed his cufflinks and pressed a small button on the dashboard. A small opening appeared as the radio pulled back and Muva pressed his diamond-shaped cufflinks into the two small openings. He turned the knob on the radio and a meek voice crackled over the radio.

" _What? Who's there?_"

" It's Muva dammit! I want to speak with Aixela!"

" _Oh, erm, yes. I'm sorry sir. Please hold on._"

Muva grunted under his breath and shook his head as silence ensued. After a short period the same weak voice came over the radio.

" _Aixela is… occupied at the moment Muva. She does not wish to be…._"

" GET HER!" Muva barked furiously.

There was a low scream from the other side of the radio and after a few moments Aixela's voice came over the radio.

" _What is it Muva? I'm busy,_" she added coldly.

" I have made contact with our first Human subject," Muva said.

Aixela suddenly sounded more interested, " _Excellent, excellent. Do you have it with you?_"

" No my Lord. My Negyxo caplets began to deplete and I had to…."

" _Damn you Muva!_" Aixela growled fiercely, " _who do you think you're dealing with? I am Aixela, Master of the Imaginary World and supreme commander of the entire Namuh race! You will not return to this world until you have all of those foul Humans in your custody, whether you can breath or not! Do you understand me?_"

Muva swallowed hard and sighed, " Yes my Lord. Of course, I don't know what I was thinking. I am nothing but a servant and I will obey your commands. I will get the Humans as quickly as I can."

" _You had better you foul thing!_" the voice cut off and silence ensued.

Muva foraged in the small container beside the driver's seat and pulled out a small silver box. Inside where three deep, rectangular-shaped holes that were carved into a black foam. One of the small insets was empty but two small white strips rested inside each of the other two. He pulled out one of the white strips and rested it carefully on his forked tongue. It dissolved quickly and Muva took a deep breath. It was time to do a little bit of undercover work.

The pain in Aires' head slowly faded away as he rested but it was still not entirely subdued by the time he went down for dinner. His mother had always insisted on eating in the kitchen but tonight she permitted Aires and Jason to eat in the living room.

" Jason, don't sit like that! You'll choke!"

" No I won't mom," Jason said through large bites of pizza.

A long string of cheese slid off the pizza and flopped down on Jason's chin and he let out a howl of pain, sucking the cheese as quickly as he could into his mouth. Aires chuckled but his mother showed an expression of true concern.

There was a knock on the door.

" Who could that be?" Aires' mother asked.

" I'll answer it," said Jason.

He was already up and out of the room before Aires even blinked and by the time Aires had risen from his seat the door was already open. On the other side was a small girl dressed in a short green and red plaid skirt, a white blouse, and a dark green sash that hung over her shoulder. Various buttons and ribbons where pinned to this sash. She had on a beret that was cocked slightly to the side on her head. She had a bright grin on her face, a clipboard under her arm, and a small box in her hands.

" Oh," Jason grunted, " it's Lilly's sister."

" Oh," Aires' mother said, " hello there Suzy!"

" Hello Mrs. Spears! Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?"

Her knobby knees were covered in dirt.

" It's a little early for that isn't is Suzy? I thought you handed out cookies in the fall?" Aires said.

Suzy looked from Jason to Aires to Mrs. Spears and then back to Aires. Her mind seemed to be racing like mad underneath her beret and golden locks of hair.

" Erm—well, yes. Usually we do," she said, " but this year they decided we should get a head start."

" That's a little odd," Mrs. Spears said, scratching her chin. " But I'm sorry dear, I can't buy any right now. Why don't you come back in the fall and then I'll order a whole bunch?"

Suzy gnawed on her bottom lip and looked down at her shoes, " Yes, of course."

" Alright then, goodbye Suzy!" Mrs. Spears said.

" Tell your brother I want my video game back," Jason said.

Mrs. Spears frowned as Jason closed the door. Aires felt a sudden searing pain in his head and grabbed furiously at his forehead.

" Aires, what's the…."

But Aires tumbled to the floor before Mrs. Spears could finish her sentence.

Muva cursed himself as he hurried down the street towards his car, discarding his box of cookies on the side of the road as he leapt into the driver's seat. He felt totally humiliated to be a girl and even more humiliated that he could get inside the house. He clicked a button on the dashboard and the steering wheel pushed aside, sinking backward and was replaced by a slender black laptop computer. On the screen there was a large map with three moving red dots, one yellow star, and one white box. He clicked on one of the red dots and it zoomed in close. After a moment or two a small panel appeared on one side of the screen and a picture of a Human female appeared, a long list of statistics scrolling by her picture. Muva smirked slightly before starting the car and pulling off down the street.

A white light blinded Aires as he slowly opened his eyes. It did little to quell his pounding head but it slowly faded as his eyes adjusted. A round shadow blotted out the glaring light and slowly Aires' eyes began to distinguish the features.

" Are you okay Aires?" asked a sweet voice.

It was Jeanne.

" Yeah," Aires grappled to say, " yeah, I'm fine. Where am I?"

He felt a hand grasp onto his.

" You're in the hospital sweetie," he heard his mother say, " you collapsed and we called an ambulance."

" Oh," Aires said.

Another face popped into Aires' view and this one was of a clean-shaven doctor with a flimsy blue hat on his head that looked like a shower cap.

" Do you remember what happened to you," he looked as casually as he could down at the clipboard he was holding, " Aires?"

Aires licked his dry lips, " Umm—well sort of. I remember that I had a really bad headache all day and then after that Suzy girl showed up I was just in so much pain that I guess I just…."

" …Collapsed from the pain," the doctor completed, " we don't know exactly what happened to you. At first we expected a blood clot of hemorrhage in your brain but those idea didn't pan out and you just got generally better. Do you still have a headache?"

" Yeah, kinda," Aires said, " how long have I been here?"

" Just overnight Aires," his mother said, " I called dad and he's coming here from the airport."

" I thought he wasn't coming back until Monday?" Aires said.

" He said the convention was cancelled because of…well, you know. He was gonna stay a little longer but when I told him about you he decided to come straight home."

" Oh," Aires said, slightly disappointed he would no longer be able to drive around in his dad's car.

" You should just relax for a while," the doctor said, " and just take it easy. We are still going to keep checking up on your condition but if nothing happens after today I'd say that you can go home by tonight."

Aires wasn't listening but he was wondering who was holding his hand, Jeanne or his mother. He hoped it was Jeanne but he knew deep down that it was most likely his mother. It was silent for a moment before Aires drifted back into sleep.

Aixela stood on the balcony overlooking the grounds of her palace. A massive throng of Namuhs had congregated below her and they cheered enthusiastically. Aixela was clad in her dress gown, a long black dress with a vast train that extended back into the palace. The shoulders of the dress extended out a few inches from her actual shoulders and curved up into sharp points speckled with massive diamonds. She wore a thick silver necklace with a large golden gem attached to it with the great white symbol of the Imaginary World engraved into it. She had on her crown that was a collection of spiked wood that grew progressively in height as it extended up from her ears.

Flanking her were four Despotic Guards who wore metal, scale-like armor over their entire bodies with the symbol of the Imaginary World emblazoned on their chest. They held the Despotic Spears tight to their shoulders. The two nearest Aixela's side bore the Colors and on the altar before her rested the Trinity Spear.

" My people!" Aixela bellowed in as loud a voice as she could muster, " I stand before you as the future master of the Two Worlds for the Trinity Spear has been brought forth!"

Aixela rose the spear high over her head and a great cheer arose from the crowd.

Pope Benedict XVI frowned as the Swiss Guard led a tall, lanky man into his office.

" Professor Niccoli I presume?" the Pope asked.

" Yes your Holiness," the tall man said, bowing slightly before the seated Pope.

" Please take a seat," Benedict said, " I have been informed by my Guards here that you have stumbled across something rather important?"

" Yes your Holiness," the professor said calmly, " after the…um—incursion—by the armed men a few days ago I was assured by your Chamberlain that nothing had in fact been stolen."

The Pope looked rather confused, " Has my Camerlengo misinformed you?"

" I am not sure your Holiness," the professor said, " but based on recent events around the world I do believe that something was indeed stolen from the coffers beneath the city."

" Oh?" the Pope said rather calmly, " Please do enlighten me."

" Your Holiness are you well versed in ancient texts?"

" I suppose so, yes. Why?"

" Do you ever recall coming across an item known as the Trinity Spear?"

The expression of calm on the Pope's face slowly dissipated and he leaned forward a little bit in his seat. The professor smiled slightly.

" Can I assume from the expression on your face, sir, that you have?"

The Pope nodded slightly, " Yes, I have. But that is nothing but a…."

" Myth?" the professor said, " But is it not true sir that Saint Peter led the resistance against the Imaginary World? Is it not he who returned the Trinity Spear to human hands?"

" That is the belief, yes. But an Imaginary World? Come on professor, you do not honestly think that a man such as myself could believe in such a idea?"

" Sir, no offense but you are the leader of a church, a spirituality. If it is easy to believe in a supreme, spiritual being than why not the Two Worlds?"

The Pope was silent and the professor continued.

" Let me recite if I may, your Holiness, the story of the Trinity Spear?"

The Pope nodded vaguely.

" Many years ago during the time of your Saint Peter the Imaginary World led a fierce attack against the Human race, determined to once and for all eliminate the Real World, the world that we know. They were quite close to victory until one man, Saint Peter, stepped forth and led the brave resistance against them. His spread of Christianity throughout the known world gave him a strong powerbase for his resistance. By unlocking the secret passageway between the two worlds, the Trinity Slabs, he was able to capture the Trinity Spear. The Trinity Spear has the ability to enslave both worlds but Saint Peter was not a foolish or greedy man.

" Thus he used the Trinity Spear to defeat the armies of the Imaginary World and then kept it in close company with him through the rest of his life. It is said that when he died the spear was buried with him."

The Pope stared blankly at the professor, " Are you saying that those men…."

" It is my theory, yes."

" And then you will tell me that you believe this _imaginary world_ is going to attack us with the Trinity Spear?"

" That is what I believe," the professor said, " but not what I _want_ to believe. But there is always that chance I could be wrong your Holiness."

" You want to see Saint Peter?"

" Well…."

" Out of the question," the Pope said bluntly, " nobody, not even me, sees the body of Saint Peter."

" But your Holiness, surely you must understand that the world could be…."

" No," the Pope said bluntly, " I will not have you desecrate the body of the among the holiest men that this world has ever known."

The professor leaned back in his chair and sighed inwardly.

" Please your Holiness," the professor begged.

The Pope was silent.

" Let me ask you this your Holiness," the professor said carefully, " how much damage has been done to the city?"

The Pope was silent for a moment, as if tallying numbers in his head, " Far too much to mention Professor. Horrible acts, desecration of past Popes, destruction of ancient artifacts…."

" And I assume that there is damage near the tomb of Saint Peter?"

The Pope sighed and nodded, " Indeed."

" Then please, sir. What is the harm in investigating?"

The Pope looked up at the ceiling as if searching for answers and finally sighed, " Yes. Alright."

Pope Benedict held a small lantern before him as he approached the tomb of Saint Peter. As the dull light cast by the lantern fell upon the tomb the Pope stopped and stepped back in some horror.

" What is it your Holiness?" asked the professor.

" The…the…tomb! It's been…it's been…it's been…."

The professor moved forward around the Pope (with some difficulty in the cramped quarters) to see the tomb. A massive hole had been blown in the wall and the casket lay open, it's lid resting on the floor at least a foot away.

The Pope fell to one knee and began praying as the professor stooped down and stepped into the small tomb. Saint Peter stared blankly back up at him, his hands stretched upwards and his finger's uncurled.

" It is not exactly time to panic yet your Holiness. The Trinity Spear does not just work on it's own. It is called the Trinity Spear for a reason. It requires three things for it work correctly. Without those three things it cannot work properly and it cannot be turned against us."

The Pope seemed slightly agitated, " Three things? What three things?"

" Well," the professor said, " it's actually three people, three humans, that are needed."

" Who?" the Pope asked.

" I do not know your Holiness. It is the Trinity Spear that chooses and once those three have been selected there is no turning back."

" How would you go about finding these people?"

" Well I have never truly understood the selection process but the three are chosen for a specific reason which I do not exactly understand. They have some sort of connection to the spear itself or to the Imaginary World. Needless to say that finding such people would be like trying to find three specific needles in a stack of needles. It's nearly impossible. Though one thing is for certain, the Imaginary World knows who these people are. They had a transponder inserted into the brains of each human during their brief domination of the Real World and that transponder will go off once the Trinity Spear is within the Imaginary World. I suppose that such a device could cause one heck of a headache. But, considering how many people get headaches every day…."

" So why do you think that this is related to the strange events around the world?"

" During the first war between the worlds horrible events began to occur world wide. It's often times a signal of a coming invasion. When the spear is disturbed or there is instability between the worlds a great number of terrible events can occur: the extinction of the dinosaurs, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and…."

" Extinction of the dinosaurs?" the Pope asked, alarmed, " but wouldn't that mean that…."

" Mankind is vastly behind the Imaginary World in a number of respects your Holiness. There is no religion in the Imaginary World and only one leader. This allows for a greater amount of development…."

" Enough, enough," the Pope said, " let us not discuss this matter further."

" Of course your Holiness. I will leave you now."

" May God protect us," the Pope said.

" I don't think it is God who you should be putting your faith into right now your Holiness," the professor said, turning on his heel and vacating the Papal Office.

Muva took a small scalpel and made a long incision across Tyler's forehead, cutting deep down directly to the bone. With a small device he held open the flesh and exposed the skull that was a pinkish color with blood. From his small toolkit he withdrew a small bone saw and carefully placed it onto the skull bone and sliced through it. On the other side was the grayish mass of brain and twitched ever so slightly as Muva pulled aside the bone.

" It's quite humorous actually," Muva said to himself, " that you Humans have such large brains but cannot harness them."

Muva removed a small, cufflink-sized transponder from his pocket and stuck it into the brain. Tyler sat motionless, his mouth half open and a long strand of drool tittering on the corner of his mouth. Once Muva had assured himself the control chip had been placed into the brain he carefully replaced the small bit of skull he had removed and fused it shut. Then he fused back together the skin, careful not to leave any tell-tale burn marks.

" There we go," cackled Muva, " let us just see how well it works."

Muva stepped down from the table top and pulled a small black box from his belt. He pulled up and small silver antenna and flipped a switch on the box. Tyler's mouth suddenly closed and he sat up. His face was blank, almost as if in a trance.

" Excellent," Muva said enthusiastically, " now, step down from the table…."

Muva pressed another button and Tyler pulled himself down from the kitchen table and stood, his body rigid, before Muva.

" Hmm…" Muva said, " that doesn't look exactly…Human-like. I'll have to make an adjustment or two."

Muva flipped another switch on the box and Tyler slumped down slightly, his stance spread by a small amount and his face became less Frankenstein-ish. Muva cackled with delight.

" Yes, yes, that will do. Now, there is something I wish for you do for me."

Tyler nodded slightly, " Yes?"

" I want you to bring that Human friend of yours to me."

Tyler didn't respond.

" Do you understand?" Muva asked.

" Which friend do you mean my Lord?"

Muva smiled slightly at the last remark, " The male and the female. You are to bring them to me at the—er—park. They are not to be harmed at all, they are needed by my master."

Tyler kept staring straight ahead but nodded, " Yes my Lord, I shall bring them to you."

" Indeed you shall," Muva said, " and you will not speak to anyone of our encounter nor my master or your mission. Do you understand this Human?"

Tyler nodded.

" Very well. Bring me those Humans!"

Shortly after leaving the hospital with his mother, father, and Jason, Aires felt the low pulse of a headache growing again within in head. He wondered what was causing it. But, not wanting cause any undue alarm he kept his mouth shut as they returned home.

" I got something for you Aires," his father said, " back at the house. I figured that you deserved it."

" Oh," Aires said, slightly taken aback, " okay. Thanks dad."

" I wouldn't hold your breath," Jason whispered into his ear, " knowing Dad, it's probably just some stupid thing he got in India."

As much as Aires wanted to discount what his brother had said he knew that he was indeed correct. His father did not have a history of giving extraordinary gifts. Whenever he came back from business he usually gave the boys a small amount of foreign money that he had found in his pocket or a map of the city he had been in (with his itinerary scribbled across it). Sometimes he brought back a snow globe of some kind or possibly a post card. For Christmas and birthdays it was much of the same, though he always seemed delighted with the gifts that he gave. Aires had wondered if, over the many years, his father had discovered that in fact Jason and himself were simply acting when they received socks or a notebook with pens for their birthday or for Christmas. With all this in mind, Aires expected very little.

As they pulled up into the driveway Aires noticed a silver car parked in the driveway.

" Whose car is that?" Aires asked.

" Yours," his father said.

Aires' heart leapt into his throat and he momentarily forgot about the pain still swelling inside of his head, " What?"

" It's your car Aires," his mother said.

Jason looked understandably disappointed, " Why does he get a car?"

" Do you like it Aires?" his father asked, as if he didn't hear Jason's complaint.

" Well... yea…I just can't…a car?" Aires stuttered.

Aires was out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop in the driveway and hurried over to the car.

" That's a sic whip," Aires heard from the end of the driveway.

Tyler sat on his bike at the end of the driveway, eyes cast on Aires new car.

" Yeah, I just got it," Aires said. He sounded almost giddy.

Aires' father rested his hand on Aires' shoulder and leaned in close to his ear, " Of course you will take good care of this car? Keep it full of gas and all that?"

" Of course Dad," Aires said.

Tyler had moved up the driveway to inspect the car with greater care.

" Can I—um—take it for a spin?" Aires asked his father.

" It's your car," his father replied, " here are the keys."

" Just be home for dinner!" Aires' mother added as he got into the car.

" Dude can I come with?" Tyler asked.

" Sure, why not?" Aires said.

" Sweet!"

" Don't speed! Drive carefully!" Aires heard his mother call as Aires pulled the car out of the driveway.

Behind their car, as it hurried off down the street was a sleek, black Lexus.

Tyler looked in the side mirror and licked his lips, " Erm—maybe we should pick up Jeanne?"

Aires shrugged, " Yeah, I gotta thank her for being at the hospital."

" Hospital?"

" I was in the hospital all last night Tyler, where the hell were you?"

Tyler massaged his forehead, " I don't remember."

Aires knocked on Jeanne door, peering through the open living room window beside it. The TV was on and a few people sat with their backs to the window in the couch. The door opened slightly and Jeanne's mother's face filled the gap.

" Oh, hello Mrs. Simon," Aires said, " is Jeanne home?"

" Yeah…yeah…hold on," she said.

She closed the door and a few moments later Jeanne opened it.

" Hi Aires," she said, " out of the hospital already?"

" Yeah I got out about two hours ago…. Do you wanna go for a ride?"

" Ride? Where?"

" Well I just got a car from my dad and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and Tyler and see what it can do…."

Jeanne looked over Aires shoulder at the silver car idling at the end of the walk.

" Oh that's great!" Jeanne said, embracing Aires, " Mom? Can I go?"

" Yeah…yeah…sure," Aires heard vaguely from inside the house.

Jeanne excitedly got into the car behind Tyler.

" So where are you going?"

" Why don't we go down to the park?" Tyler suggested.

" The park? Why the park?"

" Cuz I think I left something there the other day and I wanted to see if I could find it…" Tyler lied.

" Yeah, okay, I guess we could do that," Aires said tentatively.

" All positions ready?" Muva asked into his cufflink walkie-talkies.

" Yessir," said a voice in his ear, " all positions ready."

" Excellent. Memory erasers ready?"

" Yessir, memory erasers ready."

Muva looked through binoculars at the two roads that approached the park and noted the positions of all his soldiers.

" Sir, vehicle spotted," said a voice in his ear, " it's a silver conveyance vehicle…approaching from Park Street."

Muva moved his vision to Park Street and watched as the small silver car approached.

_Good Human_, Muva thought to himself, _brought them right into the ambush_.

As the silver car pulled off of Park Street towards the park there was a tremendous burst of light and a loud boom, following by a procession of crackles that sounded like millions of firecrackers. Sleek-uniformed soldiers hurried from their positions and encircled the silver car, pulling the Humans from it with force.

Aires felt his headache now searing with pain as a strange man pulled him forcibly from the car and dragged him onto the street. He could hear Jeanne screaming not far away and the sound of what seemed like gunshots. He was hurried across the street to the sidewalk. His eyes could barely focus on where he was and his mind could barely grasp what had happened. Was it a car crash? Aires' eyes fell upon the pavement where he noted a the word _trinity_ spray-painted onto the gray cement. Before he could even comprehend what he had seen he fell a sudden feeling as if the ground had dropped out just underneath him and he was tumbling into nothingness. The air around him tightened, his breath shortened, and his body stretched out like silly putty. He felt as though he was being jammed through a small tube that seemed to tighten around him with each passing moment. He lost all conception of time and space. He could have been in this void for hours, days, maybe even years or it could have just been a couple of seconds. Finally he felt the ground slowly return beneath him and his body returned to it's normal size. His breathing, however, shortened even further. He gasped violently for oxygen but each time was deprived.

" Get them into the oxygen chamber, quick! They must be alive for the ceremony!" he heard a gruff voice say, " they are of no use to us dead."

The world around Aires was dark, no light, only shadow and then…it blackened out completely.

The floor was wet, slimy, moldy. A narrow slash of pale light cut through the thick darkness of the cell and rested on a pool of dark water that sat in a small recessed hole in the floor. The horrid stench of rotten flesh chocked the air. When Aires awoke he had little idea of where he was or what had happened. All he knew was that he was sitting on a cold floor with his arms bound to the wall behind him and his feet bound to the floor. Strangely the throbbing in his head had passed but a new pain had arisen in his chest. His breath was short and his chest was tight. Scratches and scrapes on his legs burned like fire and pools of sweat were pooling below his yes, above his upper lip, and across his brow. There was silence around him and no movement.

He pulled in vain on the chains that bound him but succeeded in doing nothing more than creating a racket as the metal links clanged against stone. His muscles were weak, making his arms and legs all but useless.

" Aires?" the voice was low, sweet-sounding.

" Jeanne?" Aires called out in a strained voice.

" Yes," she whispered back, " what happened?"

Aires leaned his head back so that it rested against the slimy stone and stared up at the ceiling. He blinked several times as he eyes slowly adjusted and then scanned the room. It was draped in a grayish haze but sitting opposite him, Aires could see Jeanne. Her shirt was torn and bloody and her arms and legs were securely fastened. Her hair was matted and tangled with mud, dried blood, and sweat and her face was strained. A very large gash was torn into her calf and the flesh around it was pinky and puffy. She seemed to be in a great deal of pain.

" My God, Jeanne. Are you alright?"

Jeanne shook her head, tears beginning to trickle from the corners of her eyes and streaking through the dirt on her face.

" I—I—I don't know," she sobbed, " my leg really hurts and I can barely breathe."

Aires tried once again to pull out his restraints but failed before he replied.

" I can't breathe either," he said, " your leg looks really bad."

Jeanne looked down at her calf and the stream of tears steadily increased, " What happened?"

Aires scanned every last memory that he could find in his mind. The car…Jeanne's house…Tyler…explosion…darkness….

" I don't know," Aires said, dashing the thought of a car accident as quickly as it had appeared in his mind, " Where's Tyler?"

There was a low grunt from the corner and Aires looked over. There, slumped up against the wall sat Tyler. His shirt was gone and a fierce bruise had appeared on his ribs. His arms and legs were bound tightly.

" Tyler? Are you alright?"

A large gash tore across Tyler's forehead and clotted blood was caked across his forehead.

" No," Tyler said, " no, no, no."

" Do you know where we are?"

" No," Tyler said, " no, no, no."

" I—I think he's—he's insane," Jeanne said, " I heard him say that for a long time. Do you know where we are Aires?"

" No," Aires said, looking around him, " it looks like a cell in a prison or something."

" But—but," Jeanne stuttered, a lake of tears dumping from her eyes, "why are we here?"

" I can answer that," came a hiss from the shadows.

There was a hollow _clunck_ as a door unlocked and slid open. The heavy metal door scratched against the stone, letting out a high-pitched squeal and the flicker of sparks. A dull light flooded onto the floor where the door had opened and a tall shadow filled the gap. It stepped forward slightly into the murky cell.

" No!" Tyler screeched, " NO, NO!"

There stood a man wearing a shiny black uniform and a sleek, glass-like helmet over his head. Behind him stood a woman, slightly shorter but who looked more fierce. Her stature was slightly lower than that of the soldier and her skin was so pale it seemed to glow in the darkness like a moon.

" Who the hell are you?" Jeanne hissed angrily, " let us out of here! You can't hold us prisoner like this!"

The woman let out a great bellow of laughter, " You Humans are so pathetic! This is not your realm. I can do with you as I choose."

" You psychotic bitch!" Jeanne hissed angrily.

The soldier's head turned sharply towards Jeanne who sat in defiance. Aires imagined she would have crossed her arms if they were not bound behind her. The soldier removed a gun from a hostler on his waist and beat Jeanne hard with the butt. She let out violent shrieks of pain as the hard metal handle smashed into her face.

" NO! You leave her alone!" Aires cried, " or I'll…or I'll…."

" Or you'll what you pathetic beast?" the woman hissed, " you will kill me? Ha!"

Aires pulled fiercely at his chains as he thrashed about violently towards Jeanne. The soldier kicked Aires, hard, in the chest and sent him backward with a thud into the wall.

" Now that will be quite enough!" the woman howled, " I could just as easily kill you so you will watch your fowl tongue in my presence!"

" What do you want from us?" Aires asked.

A smile spread across the woman's face, " You shall be my sacrifices."

" Sacrifices? For what?" Aires asked.

He cast his eyes over to Jeanne who sat motionless with blood smeared across her face.

" You three will be the doom of your world," said the woman, " and of your people."

" What do you mean?"

" Ha, ha, ha! How arrogant and foolish you Humans are that you know nothing of the Two Worlds. It's quite humorous really but finally you fowl Human scum will be washed away and the Namuhs will rise! Once I have unleashed the power of the Trinity Spear with the death of you three I will be the unquestioned master of the Two Worlds. Your people will be purged en masse from this universe and those that remain will become slaves, not more than a blemish upon the Earth."

" What are you…."

" SILENCE!" the woman hissed, " Muva, give them the sedatives."

The soldier withdrew three syringes from his belt. Aires fought fiercely against the needle but within moments his vision blurred and again he was submerged into darkness.

" You are sure those are the three?" Aixela asked.

" Positive," Muva said, " those are the transponders that were going off."

" Well I don't want _any_ screw-ups here. You caused enough trouble when you attacked that Vatican place…every Human news organization around the world knew about that."

" Well isn't that the point my Lord? Isn't that why we burned that Human city?"

Aixela scratched her chin with one of her long fingernails, " I suppose so but I fear that news of the Trinity Spear's disappearance has gone beyond this world."

" Why do you say that my Lord?"

" The Globe," Aixela said, " has gone red."

" For how long?" Muva asked, slightly alarmed.

" Not long, about a day," Aixela said, " but the last thing that I want is the Humans rallying before I'm ready. How are the armies?"

" Well, my Lord. Do you wish to survey them?"

" Indeed," Aixela said, " how long until the Ceremony."

" We must wait three days," Muva said, " before we can make the sacrifices."

" Three days! Why must I wait that long?"

" I do not know my Lord but I do not that the spear will not work correctly unless the proper rules are followed. But rest assured that once the sacrifices have been made you will be unquestioned master of the Two Worlds. That much I can assure."

Aixela smiled slightly as she stepped out onto the balcony, Muva on her flank. Below was a massive sea of black broken only by narrow rows and columns that divided it into several large, tight squares.

" Magnificent, aren't they my Lord?" Muva said, " the Cloner can produce one hundred thousand troops per day all of them as loyal and as brave and as steadfast as the last. They will follow any order even if it leads them to death."

" They are spectacular," Aixela said, " all I wish is to see them in combat."

" Soon enough, my Lord. Soon enough."

" Are you alright?"

Aires did not recognize the voice. It sounded harsh but it seemed as though it's source had nothing but good intentions in mind. Aires slowly opened his eyes but his vision was still blurred and all he saw was a hazy shadow stooped down in front of him. He felt a cool liquid pouring gently down his throat and it look a moment for Aires to realize it was water.

" Whoa, hold on there," the voice said sweetly, " your friends need water too."

Aires nodded and licked his dried out lips. The shadow touched his leg, the skin on it's hand was rough against Aires' skin but it was careful to avoid any of the wounds.

" Those are some nasty scratches," the voice said, " I'll have to mend them."

" Jeanne," Aires said vaguely, the affects of the drug were fading away very slowly, "she needs help."

" Jeanne? Who's Jeanne?"

Aires attempted to raise his hand and point but his arm wouldn't budge.

" There," he muttered, " over there. She's over there."

" Aires?" asked a voice from the shadows.

" Ty—Tyler?" Aires asked.

" Yeah, it's me. Are you alright?"

" Are _you_ alright? You were really messed up before."

Tyler sighed loudly over Jeanne's low whimpers of pain, " There is something…there was something…I just remember what."

" What are you talking about?"

" I dunno," Tyler said slowly, " but something happened that I can't remember…but I _know_ it happened."

Aires was confused, " Huh?"

" They did something to me, Aires. Those…things."

" Namuhs," said the voice of the stranger, " we are not things."

" You are one of them?" Aires asked.

The stranger sighed, " Yes. But I don't support what Aixela and her generals are doing."

" Wait, wait, wait," Tyler said, " Namuhs?"

The stranger sighed, her shadow still leaned over Jeanne and her hands were tending at the fierce wound on her calf.

" There is a lot that you don't seem to know," the stranger said.

" Like what?" Tyler asked, sounding someone angry.

" There is more to the Earth than the world that you know. There is the world that you know, yes, but there is more than that, a lot more. The world you live in, the Real World, is but half of the earth. My world, the Imaginary World, encompasses the over half. We are in the shadows of your realm, always have been. You can't see our world on the surface but we are more connection than you might believe. For example, you owe some of your technology to us.

" I know that sounds insane but it's true. There is only one way to get back and forth between the worlds: through the Trinity Slabs. They are passageways between the two worlds and it is not a pleasant experience to pass through one, unless you are a Namuh."

Aires' head was spinning but he wasn't sure if it was from the drugs or the information that he had just heard. Regardless of what this stranger had said, Aires was still confused. But Tyler spoke before he could.

" And?"

The stranger was stitching up Jeanne's leg, " Our leader is Aixela. She seized power four years ago and since then she had been building up her strength. She started small at first, wiping out all opposition to her leadership locally and winning over the Cloners. Then she broadened her control to the whole realm. Her sole ambition has been and still is the punishment of the Real World. I am sure that you heard of the attack on your sacred site? It was orchestrated by Aixela's top General: Muva. He stole from your holy site something called the Trinity Spear."

" This all sounds absolutely ridiculous," Tyler snarled, " why should we believe you?"

" Tyler," Aires snapped.

" He is entitled to his opinion I suppose," the stranger said.

" He's just being stupid," Aires said, " I mean, if you meant to kill us you would have done it already instead of wasting time cleaning up our wounds."

" Your friend's leg is infected," the stranger said, " I will need to get some medicine. Do you know how it happened?"

" No," Jeanne said weakly, " I had it when we got here…wherever the hell we are."

" You are in a jail cell, deep beneath Aixela's palace."

" Why should we…I mean…this doesn't make any sense!" Tyler said.

" I doubted it would," the stranger said, " but know this: your time here is limited. Aixela means to kill you."

" Kill us?" Aires exclaimed.

" Yes," the stranger said calmly, " in three days time they will hold the Ceremony and you will be sacrificed."

" No!" Jeanne said, sobbing, " I can't die yet!"

" Relax—Jeanne," the stranger said, " you will need to relax if that wound is going to heal."

" What the hell does that matter?" Jeanne said, " if you are just going to kill me!"

" I wouldn't kill you," the stranger said, " I'm not that kind of Namuh."

Tyler grunted, " Yeah…right."

" What is the Trinity Spear?" Aires asked.

The stranger seemed take aback as she stitched up the last of Jeanne's wound, " Well, that is a simple question with sort of a complicated answer. The Trinity Spear, it is believed, was forged by the Namuhs after Homo Sapien appeared. The Imaginary World led a campaign against them but they proved too difficult to manage so the Namuhs created the Trinity Spear. It was empowered with the ability to control both worlds. Whichever world controls the Trinity Spear will be able to conquer the other."

" That is why your people have stolen it," Aires said, " so they can conquer earth?"

" Well my, my, my," the stranger said, " and they tell me your Humans aren't smart. Yes, that is exactly what she intends to do."

" Then why are we here?" Tyler asked.

" For the Trinity Spear to work it requires that three people be sacrificed. For example, for it to work for the Humans, three Namuhs must be sacrificed and for the Namuhs to be able to use it effectively three Humans must be sacrificed."

" Sacrificed? Why sacrifice people?"

The stranger shrugged, " The best that I can guess is that when the spear was created, sacrifice was commonplace amongst the heathens. Your people often made sacrifices to their gods as did mine. Plus I suppose it is the ultimate show of power."

" Yeah," Aires said, flabbergasted, " I suppose it is. Is that why I got the headaches?"

" Each Human has been fitted with a transponder chip in their brain. When the Trinity Spear is in the hands of Namuhs, the transponders of the three chosen ones go off to reveal their location. That could, I suppose, cause a headache."

" The three chosen ones? I doubt that the _chosen_ ones is the term I would use," Tyler said, " we have been marked for death…what is it?"

The stranger was looking at Tyler's forehead. She ran her rough finger across a long, non-visible line in his skin.

" Have you been inserted with a controller chip?" the stranger asked.

" What? I dunno…OUCH!"

" Lean your head back," the stranger said, " I must remove it."

" No…wait…what are you doing? OUCH!"

The stranger ran her finger in a small square on Tyler's forehead. She pressed hard on his skin and a small black chip emerged from his flesh with a small squirt of blood. The stranger pressed her finger over the small hole in Tyler's skin, reached into the darkness, and pressed what looked like a black facecloth over his face.

" Keep that there," the stranger said, " and that will heal."

The stranger took the small chip and placed it under her large foot. She stomped on it hard and shattered it into many shards across the floor.

" What the hell was that?" Aires asked.

" A control chip," the stranger said, " it's used as a sort of mind control device, if someone has that implanted in their brain, they can be made to do anything. That might explain why you're here."

" What does that mean?" Tyler asked indignantly from behind the face-cloth like material over his face.

" It is most likely that you were implanted with the device and you were told to lead you three into an ambush where Muva and his troops could capture you and bring you here."

" That's what happened at the park?" Aires asked, " an ambush? But what about the people around? Didn't anyone see…."

" Mind erasers," the stranger said, " I doubt that anyone who say what happened remembers now. They were most likely implanted with a different memory."

" How is that possible?" Aires asked.

" Don't ask me," the stranger said, " I'm not an Eraser. It's a complicated science but it is possible, believe me. They did the same thing to my brother…implanted him with a different memory. Now I would doubt if he even knew I was his sister."

" Can you help us?" Aires asked.

" Help you?" the stranger asked, standing by the doorway, it's hand on the knob.

" To escape."

" As much as I would like to," the stranger said, " I couldn't even if I tried."

The stranger massaged her temple, " But I will return tomorrow. In the mean time, try and make your friend Jeanne there get some rest. She'll need it, that's a fierce wound on her leg."

Without another word the stranger opened the cell door and disappeared behind it. Aires sat motionless for a few minutes, the silence ringing in his ears. Jeanne lay silently with her head rested against the stone wall behind her and Tyler sat silently, staring down at his scuffed-up Nikes through the face-cloth material on his face.

" Did—did you believe any of that?" Tyler asked.

Aires shrugged, " I don't really know. I mean, it all sounds so crazy but…it does sort of explain why we are here."

" But you can't honestly believe…?"

" Then why are we here Tyler? Why?"

" Maybe there was a car accident…."

" Yeah and they threw us all in his god awful cell with no food, no water, and with threats that they will kill us in three days. I mean, I'm not saying I totally believe it but considering the circumstances it all sort of makes sense."

Tyler sat silently for a few moments, " But what did that person do to Jeanne?"

Aires strained to see through the darkness at Jeanne's leg. The red and puffy wound was sealed tightly with small, black stitches and it was smeared with some form of clear paste.

" Gave her stitches for her leg," Aires said.

" What the hell was that thing she pulled out of my head?" Tyler asked, his voice a little shakier.

" It was a…."

" But how did they get it in there!" Tyler asked, his voice trembling.

" I don't…."

" Your lying!" Tyler bellowed.

" Don't blame this on me Tyler!" Aires snapped fiercely, " there is nothing I can do so just live with it!"

Tyler didn't seem to listen and he began to sob, his body trembling, " I don't want to die."

Aires was silent and he looked down at his feet. His right shoe had a large hole torn through it and his toes were exposed. Tyler continued to sob in the corner, whispering his same concern for death over and over again. Aires blocked him out and began to think.

Why did that stranger say they couldn't help?

_Maybe they have a control chip in their brain too, won't let them help._

Control chip? Are you out of your mind? That doesn't make any sense.

_Then how did she know it was in Tyler's head? How did she know how to pull it out?_

Well…maybe….

_No! No maybes! This is a reality._

It can't be.

_Why not?_

Because this is madness! Two Worlds? A Trinty Spear? Domination of the Real World?

_It's all true, think about it. That explains all the strange things have been going on doesn't it?_

I guess it does….

_And that explains why you are here in this little cell with your two best friends, chained to the wall?_

I guess it does….

_You can't stay in here, Aires, you just can't._

But what can I do? I'm chained to the frickin' wall!

_Blah, blah, blah! Be resourceful! There must be something!_

What? Where?

_Try pulling on the chains_.

I already did that you stupid brain! Remember? It didn't work!

_Try again then!_

Aires pulled hard on his restraints to the point where it felt as though his arms would pop out of their sockets. _Again, again_ his conscience urged. Aires pulled and tugged and thrashed violently against the chains but it was to no avail.

Any more brilliant ideas?

_You have to persuade that stranger, you have to get her to help._

She already said that she wouldn't.

_And? You will never know until you try. I'll make you try if I have to._

Fine, when she returns.

_Fine._

Curia slipped silently from the dungeon, making sure the many folds of her dress obscured the canteen of water and medicine pack she carried. As she reached to top of the stairs she peered carefully through the glass window at the top of the door to ensure that no guards were present and she ever so carefully pushed open the door. She looked left and looked right. The long, dark corridors were void of life beside hers and she moved swiftly out of the dungeon, scurrying up the hall to the right, determined to get as far away from the dungeon as she could in case she was spotted by Despotic Guards. As she rounded the corner into the main corridor she heard a hiss from behind her.

" What were _you_ doing down there?"

Curia's heart began to pound violently behind her ribs and she turned swiftly to see Aixela with Muva and two Despotic Guards at her side. Curia was silent as she thought up an excuse in her brain.

" I said, what were you doing down there?" Aixela repeated, more fiercely this time.

" Down where?" is all that Curia could think of.

" In the dungeons you cur!"

Curia felt rage bubbling in her stomach but she quelled it and, as calmly as she could she replied, " Oh, the dungeons? Is that what's down there? It's silly really, I have never been down that hallway."

" You were visiting the Humans weren't you?" Aixela demanded harshly.

" There are Humans here? I had no idea," Curia lied.

Aixela raised a thin, black eyebrow and stared coldly at Curia, " Never let me catch you down here again!"

" Well of course my Lord," Curia said as peaceably as she could (casting a chance glance at Muva, who stood motionless by her side), " I still respect your wishes. You shall never catch me down here again."

Aixela raised a long-nailed finger and rested the end of the sharp nail just below Curia's chubby chin, " Or I will see to it that you are executed and your body put on display."

_I'd like to see you try_, Curia boasted to herself as she looked down at Aixela.

" Of course my Lord," Curia said as smoothly as she could, " never again."

Aixela scratched Curia's chin with her nail, sending a small trickle of blood down the yellow nail. Curia felt the warm liquid sliding slowly towards her throat and wiped it clean with her arm. Aixela wiped the blood off her nail on the uniform of one of the Despotic Guards before pushing past Curia and down the main corridor. Muva and the Guards followed closely behind. Curia had thought she had seen Muva glance at her but she doubted it was a look of nothing more than scorn as she moved up the hallway, keeping a safe distance from Aixela and her entourage.

" There is something about that Curia," Muva said, " something in the back of my mind."

Aixela grunted, " It is nothing."

" But it seems as if she…."

" IT IS NOTHING!" Aixela screeched fiercely.

" Of course my Lord, nothing," Muva said.

True to her word, the mysterious stranger returned the following day. She seemed distant, however, as she handed around the water canteen.

" What's your name?" Aires asked.

" Curia," she replied simply.

" Why can't you help us Curia?"

Curia sighed, " It's not that simple, you see. Like I said, I _would_ help you if I _could_ but I can't."

" Why not?"

" It's…I can't really…it's complicated."

" Just say what it is," Aires said.

Curia sighed and massaged her temple again, " It's an inhibitor. It blocks certain functions. Aixela installed it not too long ago."

" What does it do if you do something you aren't supposed to?"

" Depends on the degree. For example, right now, I'm not even supposed to be talking to you about the inhibitor chip so there is an electric shock running down my spine. It's low, though, not enough to paralyze me, just to let me know I'm doing wrong. If I tried to get you out of here," she stopped and looked down at the floor, " it could kill me."

" Can't you remove it like you did Tyler's?"

" I suppose I could, but removing it might kill me."

" What if someone else does it?"

" Like who? You? No. Once it's removed a signal is sent to Aixela who would kill me the first chance she got."

" So you escape with us." Aires said.

" It's not that easy…."

" Aires."

" It's not that easy Aires," she said, " you _can't_ escape from Aixela's palace."

" Why?"

Curia seemed slightly peeved at the multitude of questions, " Because it is the most well-guarded facility in the whole of the Imaginary World. Five thousand Despotic Guards, seven thousand Elites, forty eight snipers at the very least, forty Drone Fighters, and no less than twenty five armored vehicles."

" Do you live in the palace?"

Curia nodded, " My father in head Cloner and he lives the palace."

" Cloner?"

" Yes, my—my father breeds Aixela's army," she said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

" Then wouldn't you have the support of the army? Wouldn't you be able to tell them not to attack us?"

" The Despotic Guards are pure-blood Namuhs, they are not Clones. They pose the biggest threat and I have no control over the Elites, most of whom are not Clones, or the Drones."

" Couldn't you lead a…oh, what are those things called…a coup?"

" I'm afraid I do not know that word," Curia said.

" You know, a coup d'état. It's an armed rebellion against the government. If your father is the Cloner can't he turn the soldiers against Aixela."

Curia shook her head, " Unfortunately no. My father has an Inhibitor as well. He can't do anything beyond creating the Clones."

Aires frowned, " Can't you…reprogram the Clones?"

" It's not that simple," Curia said stubbornly, " you don't know how things work around here. First of all, I'm affected by the Inhibitor. Second of all, the second Aixela hears of what I'm doing she will find me and kill me, no matter what it takes. She will burn all of the Real World to the ground if she has to just to find me. I can't take that responsibility, not for the lives of so many."

" Curia!" Aires said harshly, " we are going to be killed tomorrow. Don't think about the future, think about the here and now! Just help us out of here, please!"

Curia looked at Aires, then to Tyler and then to Jeanne, all of whom stared at her with desperation.

" Please Curia," Jeanne said, " I can't die here…wherever _here_ is."

Curia swallowed and rubbed a small tear from the corner of her eye.

" I'm sorry," she said, " there is nothing I can do to help you. Please forgive me."

Curia rose, her hand pressed over her mouth and tears swelling in her eyes and hurried from the cell, slamming the door hard behind her. Aires sighed and pulled fruitlessly on his chains once more. Jeanne began to cry, her clear tears carving canyons through the thick layer of mud caked onto her face. Tyler looked over at Aires, his eyes beginning to become puffy

" I did all I could Tyler," Aires sighed, " but nothing worked."

" It's okay Aires," Tyler said, looking up at the ceiling, " you tried."

Jeanne began sobbing louder, " There—is—so—much—I—haven't—done—in—my life! So—much—I—wanted—to—do!"

" Don't talk like that Jeanne," Aires said sternly, " I'm gonna think of something. We _aren't_ going to die! We are going to get out of here and get the hell back home."

" But—what's—to—say—that—they—won't—find—us—again!"

" I don't know Jeanne," Aires said, " but they won't get us again. We will get out of here and live on our lives as happy and joyful as ever."

" What are you planning to do?" Tyler asked, a slightly tinge of hostility in his voice, "shoot them all John Wayne?"

" No I'll just make them go to the park!" Aires fired back.

" That wasn't my fault! I had that…that…thing in my head! You know I wouldn't have done that otherwise!"

" Do I?"

Tyler pulled harshly on his chains, straining to get towards Aires who sat motionless and Tyler wore himself out. He collapsed to the ground and began to sob, pounding his fist furiously on the ground.

" Look, I'm sorry Tyler," Aires said softly, " but trust me, we aren't going to die tomorrow or the next day or the next day. We are going to live on and see our children and our children's children grow up. Then, when we are old we will die. Not tomorrow, you can count on that."

Mrs. Spears sat silently, slowly drinking a glass of tea. Two, bulky police officers sat across from her, one with a small notebook.

" So when did you last see your boy?" the one without the notebook asked.

" Two days ago," Mrs. Spears said, her voice shaky, " when we brought him home from the hospital. He had just gotten a new car…."

Her voice trailed off into inaudible sobs. The cop licked his lips before continuing.

" Was he with anyone?"

" Yes," she said.

" Was he with Tyler Boa and Jeanne Simon?"

" Tyler I know for sure is yes but I don't know if he picked up Jeanne."

" Okay well they have been reported missing as well. Jeanne Simon's parents say that your son…."

" Aires," Mrs. Spears said.

" Right, Aires picked up their daughter at around 2:30 p.m. on Thursday the ninth. Tyler Boa's mother says that Tyler left at around 2:00 p.m. to come here to see your son."

Mrs. Spears was silent and Mr. Spears gnawed fiercely at his lower lip.

" So what is the make of the care they were driving in?"

" It was a 1998 Saab," Mr. Spears said.

" Color?"

" Silver."

The other cop had been scribbling down the entire conversation furiously with a small pencil. He paused now for a moment to rest his hand before continuing.

" Okay," the other cop said, " well we have put out an alert for all departments in the area. It's possible that maybe he got into a car accident and they were forced off the road somewhere. We still have police out combing the town and the surround looking for any sign of a disabled vehicle. As soon as we know anything we will let you know."

Mr. and Mrs. Spears nodded in unison as the telephone rang. Mrs. Spears perked up hopefully, perhaps thinking that maybe this was Aires calling from his cell phone to tell them they were alright. Mr. Spears picked up the phone.

" Hello? Oh, hello Reggie. No he hasn't…what? Oh, okay, I'll be there shortly."

Mr. Spears hung up the phone and looked at his wife, " Um, that was Reggie from work. He said he needed some help fixing a crashed computer so I'm gonna go to the office for a little bit to help him out. I should be back before dinner."

" Oh, okay," Mrs. Spears said vaguely, " anything to keep your mind off of…well, you know."

But Mr. Spears wasn't listening. He grabbed his keys from the bowl and was out of the door before the police. He drove hastily to the office and pulled into a small, out-of-the-way parking space behind the building near where the property line ended. He locked the car and hurried towards the building. Instead of talking the narrow cement causeway that led to the main door of the building he took a small set of metal stairs that were used primarily by the repairmen. It led down into the small crevice between the parking lot and the building where a small pool of dirty water had gathered. Here, hidden in the shadows of the causeway above, was a tall, skinny metal door. It had a large knob in the center and a keypad on the wall beside it. Mr. Spears punched in a few numbers in the keypad and twisted the knob. The door slid open remarkably easy and he slid in.

He stood in a long corridor that was as tall and as skinny as the door. It was lit dimly by a few exposed bulbs that hung from the ceiling. He walked forward a bit before he reached a narrow staircase that sank down into the dark and dirty depths beneath the building. On the wall was a large switch. He heaved up the lever and a puff of sparks flew from it. A few moments later the darkness in the stairwell before him was lifted as floor-base lights flickered to life. He slowly descended the narrow staircase further and further down until finally he arrived at the last stair and stood in a small, low-roofed rotunda with several narrow corridors leading off from it. Never a very discrete man, Reggie had left the lights in one of the corridors on and had formed a  symbol on the floor with M&Ms. Mr. Spears shook his head as he dispersed the M&M arrow in all directions with his foot and moving down the lit corridor. At the end was a small wooden door that was slightly ajar. Mr. Spears knocked on the wall beside it and waited.

" Erm—yes?"

" It's Michael," Mr. Spears said.

" Oh, Michael. C'mon in!"

Reggie was an odd looking man. He had fiery red hair that stuck too his head in tight curls. He had army-issued thick-rimmed glasses that rested precariously on the end of his rather stubby nose. He had large ears, somewhat like an elephant, and was never clean-shaven.

" So where's the 'computer'?" Michael asked.

Reggie frowned, " What are you…oh, the computer! Ha, ha, I almost forgot. So was the wife upset?"

" No," Michael said, " she thinks I just came into the office to see you. I suppose it wasn't a lie considering this _is_ the head office after all."

" True, true."

" So what's the problem?"

" Oh, right!" Reggie said, " I think you'd better take a look at this."

Reggie took up a long piece of paper that rested on the table before him. Michael picked it up and scanned the narrow lines of words that were scribbled on it in faded type.

" Is this written in Namuh?" Michael asked.

Reggie nodded, " I received the transmission about an hour ago. At first I just thought it was a prank from one of the other guys in the Brotherhood but when I realized it was the real deal I decided I had best call you. What do you make of it?"

" Who sent this transmission?"

" Far as I can tell someone on the inside. Says that her name is Curia or something along those lines. She says that she is the daughter of the head Cloner and there were three Humans who needed help or something."

" Wait a minute…Aixela has the Trinity Spear?" Michael asked alarmingly.

" I guess so. This here Curia says that it was stolen from the Vatican during that raid."

" But I thought that the Brotherhood moved the Spear in the 12th century?"

" I thought so too so I did some sleuthing. Apparently the escort of French and Spanish soldiers meant to transport the Trinity Spear never made it beyond the Vatican walls and the spear was never moved. They got caught up in Italian politics I believe. I guess the Namuhs caught wind of it's location and stole it back."

" But didn't we have men among the Swiss Guard?"

" Yessir," said Reggie, " but have a look at this."

Reggie scooped up a manila envelope, " From the Vatican. Apparently mail doesn't travel very fast from Europe."

Michael snatched up the envelope and looked inside, " Just great, this is really perfect. I can't believe this! Why weren't we told sooner?"

" I don't know commander, it just arrived shortly after I received the transmission."

" So the Trinity Spear is gone," Michael said, " and these three Humans must be the Chosen Three."

" I suppose so Commander. But if we are going to do anything about it we have to do it fast, the Ceremony is supposed to take place tomorrow."

" And once the Ceremony is complete she will have total control…" Michael said vaguely.

" Should I alert the rest of the Brotherhood, commander?"

" Yes," Michael said firmly, " and have battle gear prepared."

" Yes, Commander, right away."

Curia felt searing pain shooting through her head, neck, and spine as she typed out of the last of her transmission. She wondered if it was a fruitless attempt, she wasn't even sure if the Brotherhood still existed.

" What are you doing over there Curia?" her father asked from the corner.

He sat looking out the window over the Cloner facility, an absent and almost delusional expression spread across his visage.

" Nothing father," Curia said, " I was just…sending a message to the factory to tell them to step up production."

" Oh, yes, very good," her father said giggling slightly, " great productions equals a happier Aixela" (giggle) " which equals a safer me!"

Curia smiled vaguely, " Yes father. Very much. I told them to increase it from 100,000 to 400,000 troops. Is that better?"

Her father laughed whole heartedly, grabbing at his pudgy belly, " Yes, yes, yes indeed! Happier Aixela…safer me…more Clones!"

" Yes father," Curia said, casting a nervous look out the window, " more Clones. Do you want some food?"

Her father laughed again, " Yes, yes. Food for life! Need food to live! He, he! Make it something good!"

" Of course father. Could you tell me that story about my brother?"

He giggled again, " Yes, your brave, brave brother. What a wonderful boy he was…as was his mother. His sister too of course…he, he!"

" What happened to him?"

" Oh I don't know," he said, giggling, " he just disappeared one day. He, he!"

" Disappeared, yes," Curia said absently as the pain slowly faded from her head, neck, and spine, " What was his name?"

" Oh his name?" he said, overcome with laughter, " oh who remembers such things?"

" Father, what would you say if I told you that you were Inhibited?" Curia asked.

She had asked this question many times before but she knew the answer even before the last word passed her lips. The long exposure to the Inhibitor Chip had taken a toll on her father's brain and when he tried to prevent Aixela from rising to power it devastated his brain. He knew nothing beyond his small room overlooking the factory below, nothing beyond Curia, nothing beyond Aixela….

Her father hooted wildly, tears of laughter trickling down his pinched cheeks and he grabbed for his belly.

" Oh—ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! Me, Inhibited? HA, HA, HA, HA! You are a funny one Curia!"

Curia forced a meek smile and sighed inwardly, " Yes father, very funny."

Curia looked back at the Transmitter that rested on the table in the shadows hoping against all hope that he plan had worked.

Michael stood before a small sea of men. Their generation of the Brotherhood had been formed over twenty years ago, when none of them was over the age of 19. They had been strong, virile, and determined. But as the years had faded on with little or no action the group had changed dramatically. None of them could ever forget their training or loose their grit and determination, however a number of them did loose their hair and their teenage bodies. Regardless of the appearance of the group of men who stood before him, Michael was confident in their abilities.

" Okay my Brothers," he said, raising his hand for silence, " I am afraid I have some troubling news. About an hour and a half ago, our specialist here Reggie" (Reggie waved slightly in recognition) " received a transmission. It was written in Namuh, the language of the Imaginary World."

There was a small gasp from the crowd and after it had subdued, Michael continued.

" As far as myself and Reggie can tell, it is authentic. It was most likely sent via one of the few Trans-World Transmitters that were issued by the Brotherhood to resistance fighters in the Imaginary World. The Namuh who sent it is named Curia and she saws that the Trinity Spear along with the Chosen Three have been taken by Aixela, the brutal dictator of the Imaginary World."

There was another gasp from the crowd.

" How can this be Michael?" one in the crowd asked.

" Yeah, what about our members in the Swiss Guard?" called another.

" What if it's a set up?" questioned another.

" Please, please my Brothers be silent!" Michael bellowed, " and please listen. We also received notice from the Vatican today of the death of our five agents in the Swiss Guard during the raid a few days ago by unknown attackers. We also received an e-mail from a Professor Conner who said he visited the resting place of the Spear only to find it missing. As for the idea that this is a trap I don't know exactly what to tell you. But know this: Curia is the daughter of Teenagria, head Cloner and former leader of the Grand Resistance against Aixela. He was granted one of our transmitters and he is the only one who is in possession of it. According to our sensors, it has never left him home nor has it been detected by Aixela's 'Real World Beams.' So we can only assume that it is authentic transmission."

" And what are we to do Commander?" called one from the crowd.

The room fell deadly silent, broken only by the low hum of the computers in the far end of the room. Michael licked his lips before continuing.

" We are going to suit up and rescue the Chosen Three, bring then back here and keep them safe from Aixela."

" But were are only forty men, Aixela has millions under her control."

" I understand the odds Boris," Michael said, " but so long as Aixela can't get her hands on the Chosen Three she can't win. Look, I know that we are all a little old and a little out of shape but we can't turn our backs on this. We _are_ the Brotherhood, those who were sworn to protect the Real World by controlling the Trinity Spear. Who will fight beside me?"

The room was silent once more and Michael felt his heartbeat slowing.

" I will fight!" called a voice.

" As will I!"

" Me too!"

" So will I"

" I will fight!"

The room was enveloped in and roar of support.

Aires felt himself being jerked up suddenly from the floor. He looked down at his wrists that were red and swollen from the restraints that had previously held him to the ground. He looked over to Jeanne and Tyler and say them being pulled up hastily and gruffly by black-clad soldiers.

" Hey, let us go!" Tyler shouted, pulling hard against the soldiers that were holding him.

He kicked the soldier nearest to him in the shin. That soldier cursed and yelled something in a strange language. The other punched Tyler in the stomach, causing him to double over in pain. Jeanne hung limply in the arms of another soldier, her eyes were closed.

" Is this one dead?" one soldier asked the other.

" Nay," the other replied, " she's breathing and that's good enough for Aixela."

" No!" Aires found himself saying, " let her go! She needs to rest!"

The soldier snorted, tightening his grip on Aires, " She needs to die."

Aires suddenly found himself trashing against the soldier's grip. He bit the soldier's hand as hard as he could. After the soldier howled, Aires felt warm blood spill into his mouth. The soldier pounded Aires hard in the head with his fist but Aires kept his teeth clamping into the soldier's hand. He let out continual screams of pain and pulled hard against Aires' grip.

" Quick, stun him!" the soldier gasped through howls of pain.

" We can't, Aixela would be furious!"

" Then do _something_!" the soldier barked, " he'll bit my arm off!"

The two other soldiers pushed Jeanne and Aires to the floor and began pounded Aires hard with their fists. Finally, after a particularly hard punch fell a little too far below the belt Aires released his grip and stumbled backwards. His lips and teeth were stained black with Namuh blood. Small streams of blood trickled from the corners of his mouth towards his chin. The soldier inspected his hand. A arc-shaped slash was cut into the black glove and a shiny black liquid was pouring from the fierce wound.

" Stupid Human bastard!" the soldier yelled, smacking Aires hard across the face.

" Let's just get these filthy things to Aixela," one of the soldiers said angrily, " and get this over with."

Aires, Jeanne, and Tyler were ushered angrily from the cell and up a flight of stairs. At the top, beyond a large door was a larger escort of soldiers. They were dressed differently from the others. They wore long, blue cloaks with a golden  emblazoned across the front. They carried extremely tall spears that reached up above their heads and had menacing axe-like heads. On their heads they wore golden helmets that had broad, wing-shaped pieces of golden jutting from the sides like horns. They were blank-faced and stood as motionless as stone statues.

The soldiers outside the dungeon clamped chains onto Jeanne, Tyler, and Aires that bound their arms to their ankles.

" Move you beasts!" a soldier barked.

" It is _you_ who are the beasts!" Aires snarled.

The soldier raised his rifle but lowered it reluctantly as one of the Despotic Guards stared fiercely at him.

" We have our orders," the Despotic Guard said coldly, " they are not to be harmed."

" But that foul thing bit me!"

" Then bandage it and get over it!" the Guard barked.

The three were marched slowly down an empty corridor. In the distance Aires could hear the sounds of cheers that grew as they moved further down the hallway. When they reached a rotunda, they moved down a hallway straight across from the one they were traveling on. At the end of the corridor there was a dull light. As they approached, Aires could see it was a doorway guarded by four Despotic Guards, two on each side. They pulled open the door and instantly the three friends emerged onto a broad platform. Aires looked into the distance as saw a throng of people standing like a vast sea. They descended a broad set of stairs and were instantly greeted with boos and hisses of disgust. Ahead, at the bottom of the stairs was a broad, circular platform. In the center there was tall podium upon which rested a golden spear. Beside the podium stood a slender woman wearing a long, white gown that pooled around her feet in all directions. She wore a tall crown on her head. Standing behind here were two Despotic Guards, each holding a pillow that carried a long, wide sword.

The soldiers lined Aires, Jeanne, and Tyler up into a line before the white-clothed woman and forced them to kneel. In the audience, near the front of the crowd Aires saw Curia, deliberately avoiding his stare and searching the sky overhead. Aires felt fury swelling in his stomach and looked down at the stage. Everything he knew seemed totally irrelevant here. Nothing in knowledge could save him in this strange and bitter world. He knew nothing and could do nothing. He knelt silently, pondering his own death. He cast a quick glimpse at the sword and wondered how many hacks it would take for his head to be removed, or if that was even what it was intended for. The cheering crowd only worsened his spirits as he thought of home. He thought of Jason and of his mom and his dad. Of his own bed, the soft pillows and the warm blanket. He would gladly sit in a hospital bed that kneel on this stage before a mass of Namuhs who seemed to be cheering for his slow, gruesome death.

The woman began speaking in a strange, harsh language. She pointed to the three friends knelt before her and the crowd hissed in anger. Aires looked out to the crowd at Curia who looked up at the sky. She seemed to be searching for something. The harsh language continued and the crowd cheered louder and louder as the slender woman reached the climax of her speech. Aires looked to the crowd again at Curia who seemed to have found what she was looking for in the sky. She looked down from the sky with a small smile on her face and bowed slightly before disappearing into the crowd. Aires looked casually over his shoulder to see what Curia had seen. He saw nothing but a vast, slate-gray sky. He sighed and looked back down at the stage, sickened by Curia's cruel joke. The slender woman had lifted the sword with some difficulty and stood beside Tyler. She took a practice stroke that fell before Tyler then lifted it up again over her head. She let out a few more strange words and began with the down stroke.

There was a loud bang and Aires' eyes shot up quickly to the slender woman. A large hole was blown into her fist and the sword tumbled from her grip. She screamed angrily as she looked at the wound in her hand and looked up towards the crowd. Two more loud bags and the Despotic Guards who had been carrying the pillows tumbled to the ground, black blood spilling from their shattered skulls. A group of soldiers, glad in blue, jumped from the crowd and began firing rounds from their sleek, black rifles at the guards that surrounded the stage. Another group of soldiers hurried towards the three chained friends on the stage. The chains were broken without hesitation and the three teens were hurried off the stage.

" DRONES! GUARDS! KILL THE INTRUDERS!" Aires heard.

What seemed like hundreds of soldiers began to swell up onto the stage.

" Quick, Morris the teleporter!" the blue-clad soldier guarding Aires said.

A tall, blue-clad soldier threw a disc-shaped object onto the stage. It seemed to unfold itself and revealed what looked like a blue liquid swirling around inside.

" Quick, get inside!" the soldiers urged Aires, Tyler, and Jeanne.

Aires stepped into the small blue patch in the center of the disc and fell through. It seemed as though he was falling down a bottomless pit filled with a blue gelatin. It felt almost like a big squishy pillow around him and finally he tumbled to a carpeted floor. His head was spinning as he looked up from the floor. He didn't know where he was but before he got the chance to figure it out, he passed out.

Curia heard a loud pounding on the door of her chambers.

" Who's that?" Teenagria asked with a chuckle.

Curia gnawed at her bottom lip and looked out the window towards the factory. The mass plaza where the soldiers usually congregated was nearly empty. They were coming for her, she knew it. Her father chuckled mindlessly to himself as she paced back and forth across the length of the chambers. The pounding on the door continued. Finally, Curia made up her mind. She halted before her father and knelt before him.

" Listen to me father," she said firmly, " and no laughing."

Teenagria had to contain his laughter as she looked at Curia. Curia's expression was stern as she looked into her father's eyes.

" I have to leave," she said, " they are coming for me."

" Why is that dear?" Teenagria asked, struggling to hold back his laughter.

" I can't explain father," she said, " but I will return. Maybe not tomorrow or the next day, maybe not even in a year but I promise you that I will come back."

Teenagria finally stopped laughing and looked at Curia, " Why do you say this?"

" I have done something to cross Aixela my father. She will kill me but she wouldn't kill you because you control army production. You will be safe here but I must hide until I can make my comeback. But I must ask you one more question before I go."

" Okay Curia," Teenagria said.

" Who is my brother?"

Teenagria looked as though he were straining, he was overcoming the inhibitor with some difficulty.

Finally he managed to utter one word, " Muva."

Then he passed out from the pain. Curia felt her head spinning from what she had just heard but she had no time to dwell on it. The banging on the door was fierce now. She rose quickly, seized the transmitter in the corner, and hurried out the window towards the factory.

" Aires? Are you alright?"

Aires was laying on his back, staring up at a blank, white ceiling. The light in the room was rather dull so Aires' eyes adjusted quickly. He felt warm underneath a soft blanket and instantly believed all that had happened was a dream.

" Aires? Are you alright?" repeated the voice.

Aires knew the voice, " Dad?"

" Yes," said the voice, " it's me. Are you okay?"

Aires let out a sigh of relief, " Why wouldn't I be?"

" Well, I wasn't sure if the effects of teleporting had worn off. It's a little bit of a shock to the system when you do it for the first time."

" Teleporting?" Aires said, the sinking feeling setting into his stomach.

His father sighed, " Yes. I know that everything that has happened to you may seem entirely strange but…."

" That _happened_? Everything…all of that Imaginary World stuff actually happened."

" Yes Aires, all of it. We got there just in time."

" We?" Aires said, confused.

" Yes, Aires, the Brotherhood."

" Brotherhood?" Aires asked, sitting up in his bed.

He could see that he was in one of the several beds that sat inside a white-walled infirmary. Tyler and Jeanne appeared to the sleeping in the next too beds.

" Yes, son. I—there is a lot I need to tell you."

" I'd say so dad," Aires said.

" Okay, I'll start from the beginning. Our family is descended from the Rosenthal family, the original protectors of the Trinity Spear. Before he died, the eldest Rosenthal founded an association of men to guard the Trinity Spear known as the Brotherhood. Over the many years it has existed, the Brotherhood had expanded to hundreds of members world wide. I am commander of the Brotherhood for his chapter and am a member of the Brotherhood Council which makes the big decisions.

" What is the Trinity Spear, you may ask? Well it is sort of a long story but what is known is that it was forged by the Imaginary World in an attempt to gain control over the Real World. In order for it to work properly, three people must be sacrificed. If a human controls it, three Namuhs must be sacrificed and, as you know, if a Namuh controls it then three Humans must be sacrificed."

" What does it do?" Aires asked.

" It unleashes all of the greatest forces on earth: Earth, Wind, Water, and Fire. Once it's true power is summoned, there can be no escape. Whomever yields it can destroy the whole world and everyone in it. That is why Aixela wanted you three," (he gestured to Jeanne and Tyler resting nearby), " because she has been planning an invasion of the Real World since she came to power four years ago."

" But without us she can't do anything right?"

Aires' father was silent for a moment before he continued, " The legend of the Spear says that it is necessary to control the Spear in order to conquer the other World but it does not say you need the Spear to _destroy_. I am sorry to say that Aixela will stop at nothing to get to you three, she will stop at nothing to have her goal fulfilled. She will return to the Real World with her armies, there is no doubt about that."

" But she has millions under her control," Aires said.

" How do you know that?"

" Umm—well, Curia told me. She gave us food and medicine in the cell," Aires said.

" So," Michael said, leaning back in his seat beside Aires, " Curia actually exists?"

" Yes dad. She fixed that wound in Jeanne's leg and she tried to help us but she has an inhibitor chip in her head or something like that."

" I see," Aires' father said, " well, you had best relax for right now. You'll need all your strength for what lays ahead."

Michael rose to leave but Aires stopped him, " Wait, dad."

" What is it Aires?"

Aires gnawed on his lower lip for a moment, " Thank you."

Michael grinned, " Don't thank me, thank the Brotherhood."

" DAMN!" Aixela screamed.

She slammed her good fist down onto the table before her. The table cracked and the legs buckled under the pressure of her fist. Muva stood out of range of her fist as the medic carefully bound up the whole that had punctured clear through the middle of her hand. Her forefinger was hanging by a few threads of skin from her palm.

" How could this have happened!" Aixela called to Muva, " everything was going just fine until those…those…HUMANS arrived!"

" I don't know my Lord. They caused no signal on the Real World Beams over the city, they must have used something beside the Trinity Slabs to get here."

" Then what did they use!"

" Umm—perhaps a teleporter? Those might not appear."

" And what's more," Aixela said angrily, " they got away with the Chosen Three!"

" It may not be as big a problem as you think my Lord," Muva said, " we could find them…."

" The armies aren't ready yet," Aixela snapped as the medic sewed her finger back into place, " the Brotherhood could rout us in a second."

" I'll tell Teenagria to step up production…."

" CURIA!" Aixela bellowed, " WHERE IS CURIA?"

" Beg pardon my Lord? Curia?"

" Yes, that foul daughter of the Cloner! She must have been involved…."

" But how my Lord? She is inhibited. Any attempt to oppose you might kill her. Besides, a check of her chambers revealed nothing."

" Was she in her chamber?"

" Well—no but…."

" Find her!" Aixela said angrily, " once she is dead I will make my advance into the Real World."

" Is that wise my Lord? I mean, the Human armies would be easy to oppose. They are primitive to say the least."

" But assisted by the Brotherhood they are strong. Besides, if she escapes my clutches she may rally a resistance to oppose me while I'm gone. Then I'll be squeezed between a rock and a hard place."

" Of course my Lord. I will organize a search party immediately. Her Inhibitor Chip should make it easy to find her."

" Do whatever you must Muva," Aixela said, " but bring her back to me _alive_."

" Yes my Lord, of course my Lord."

_Part Two: Curia's Army and the New Seven_

Teenagria sat in the chair, his arms fastened tightly behind him and his ankles bound to the forward two legs of the chair. All lights in the chamber were extinguished save for a single exposed bulb that swayed slightly in a non-existent breeze. In the shadows stood Aixela, her arms folded firmly across her chest. Muva emerged into the small cone of light over Teenagria, a small syringe in his fist.

" Now then Teenagria," Muva said calmly, " we are going to have a little conversation."

Teenagria chuckled, " Yes, yes, good conversation."

" Yes indeed, good conversation," Muva said, forcing a smile, " now, what can you tell me about Curia."

" Curia?" Teenagria said and then added, chuckling, " Oh yes, my daughter."

" Yes, your daughter. Where has she gone?" Muva asked.

" Gone? Gone? Gone away," Teenagria said, chocking back laughter.

Muva slapped Teenagria hard across the face, " Just tell me where she has gone!"

" Gone? Gone? Gone _away_," Teenagria said, his voice stern.

" Very well, we'll do it my way," Muva said, jamming the syringe into Teenagria's shoulder.

Teenagria's eyelids drooped and his head fell forward.

" Where has Curia gone?" Muva asked again.

" Gone? Gone? Gone away," Teenagria said vaguely.

Muva clenched his jaw angrily, " Gone where? Tell me!"

" AWAY!" Teenagria yelled fiercely, " GONE? GONE? GONE _AWAY_!"

" His brain is totally fried," Muva said to Aixela, " we won't be able to get anything out of him short of killing him."

" Fine then. We will keep him under lock and key in this chamber. Keep him under close surveillance."

" Very good my Lord."

Curia crouched down low among the towering grasses and peered down the hillside. The sight of Notsob was welcoming to her eyes after two weeks of endless traveling. Since leaving the Capital, she had fled on foot almost never resting as wave after wave of Clones hunted her down. With each passing step she could feel her past drifting slowly away and her future, like the hazy mountain line in the distance, was approaching fast. She felt her rage for Aixela building steady in her heart and her determination to make a stand grew intense. It was for this reason that she had fled to the Outer Lands. Here she knew that she would be able to seek refuge among fellow outlaws.

" Hands up!"

Curia's head shot around to see a gruffly-clad Namuh standing beside her, pointing a crossbow at her. Curia raised her hands slowly.

" Please," Curia said, " I'm not an enemy. I'm here to seek refuge."

The soldier grunted, " We'll let Nairb decide that!"

The soldier let out a whistle and seven more soldiers appeared out of the grasses, crossbows raised and ready.

" Take her custody, bring her to the citadel."

Curia was silent as the soldiers surrounded her. They marched slowly down the hillside towards Notsob. It was a large city surrounded by a high, thick, steel wall with a series of jagged ramparts. From the hillside, Curia could just see over the wall. The city was nothing but a mass of buildings clustered closely together and divided into perfect squares with broad avenues. Spires and chimneys shot high into the sky over the city below and dominated it's skyline but in the very center of the city stood the imposing citadel. It was the tallest building in the entire city, surpassing any other building by hundreds of feet. It was shaped like a twisted pyramid with a broad base that slowly twisted around onto itself as it rose higher and higher into the sky until it came to a final sharp spire at the very top. It was surrounded by four, high towers that reached to half the height of the citadel itself, each shaped like a twisting pyramid.

The main gate of the city was high and dominating. The soldiers approached, Curia in their custody and called up to the gatekeeper.

" Open!"

There was a moment of silence before the door eased open with the massive creak of crashing cogs and moving chains. The doors opened enough for the party to enter and then sealed back up quickly. The soldiers brought Aixela down the long streets as if making a public display of her presence. The people stared at her with expressions of anger, concern, curiosity, and fear as they moved to the citadel.

The citadel had only one entrance as far as Curia could tell that was heavily guarded. These soldiers were nothing like those Curia had known to the Capital. They were not clean cut or well dressed. Most of them wore Human clothes or animal skins that were roughly sewn together with jagged and broad stitches. They did not carry the sophisticated rifles that the Clones, Elites, or Despotic Guards were known to carry. The soldiers that guarded the entrance to the citadel carried longer versions of the crossbows that the soldiers escorting her carried. She wondered how much damage such a primitive weapon could do against Muva's armies.

" Who's this then?" asked one of the citadel guards.

" We caught 'er spyin' up on the 'ill," said one of the soldiers.

The guard growled at Curia, " She looks like Muva scum. Nairb will be glad to have her head."

" I am not Muva scum!" Curia said indignantly, " I have come here for refuge. I am no enemy of yours!"

The guard growled at Curia again before the soldiers pushed her into the citadel. They emerged into an exceptionally dark main hall. There was a large pedestal in the center of the large hall upon which a broad bowl sat. Inside a large fire burned, casting dull and eerie light that danced along the walls.

" This way," one of the soldier said, leading the way to the pedestal.

He took up a piece of wood with one damp end and held it over the flaming bowl. It was instantly in flame. The soldier moved forward silently towards a broad, dark hallway that spurred off of the main hall. The golden flame from the lead soldier's torch carved a swatch of light through the darkness as they advanced slowly and silently down the hall. At the end of the dark corridor, the twitching light of the torch danced across a broad wooden door that filled the entire exit from the hall from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. There was a golden knocker in the center of the door and golden head of a horse stretching out towards the hallway, it's golden mane billowing behind it's head stood out above it.

The lead soldier jammed his torch into a bracket in the wall. He grabbed a hold of the knocker with both hands and pulled it upwards towards him with some difficulty. Then, after a few moments of holding it a few feet from the door he let it go and it smashed into the door with a tremendous bang. There was silence for a moment as Curia stared into the jeweled eyes of the horse which stared back coldly at her. The soldier heaved up the knocker again and released it. _BANG!_

The golden head of the horse suddenly stirred, shaking it's head slightly and looking over at the soldier who had used the knocker.

" What do you want?" the horse asked in a frustrated voice, " I was sleeping. It's hard to get good sleep these days. Seems as though _everyone_ wants to see Nairb…."

" Yes, yes, Patronus," the soldier said, " I understand but we have a little bit of a situation."

" _You_ have a situation? I have lack of sleep!"

" Please Patronus, I don't have time for this. Let us pass."

" Why should I—oh," the horse's eyes fell on Curia, " who is this?"

" That is the situation Patronus," the soldier said, " we found her spying on us from the hill."

" I wasn't spying!" Curia said, " I was just…."

" Silence," Patronus said, " I know your face…."

Curia frowned slightly, " But I have never been here before."

Patronus furrowed his broad brow, " Hmm…who is your father?"

" Teenagria," Curia said cautiously, " but why does that…?"

" Very well then Oswell, you may pass."

Without another word the head of the horse fell silent and the door eased open with a low creak. The soldier withdrew the torch from the wall bracket and moved slowly through the open door. They emerged into a high-roofed room drenched in shadow.

" Wait here," the soldier with the torch said.

He moved forward and disappeared into total darkness. After a few moments there was then a sudden burst of flame. The soldier had placed the tip of his torch into a broad bowl on top of a tall pedestal near the front of the room. He then moved to another side of the room and lit another broad bowl and then moved to the other side of the room and lit the final bowl. Once all of the fires had grown to their full height, the vastness of the room was truly revealed. In the rear of the room was a tall throne that rested on top of a flat-topped pyramid that had a series of steps carved into it's front. Sitting in the throne was a mysterious man dressed in a long black cloak that swept down over the edge of the throne and the sides of the pyramid-shaped base beneath him. He seemed to be sleeping in his throne.

" Nairb, king of Notsob and High-Commander of the Outer Land Resistance!" the soldier called Oswell said, " We request an audience."

The man sitting on the throne awoke with a start and looked down at the party of people before him.

" Oh—erm—yes? What is it that you want?" he said.

" We caught this one," Oswell said, grabbing Curia by the arm and tugging her forward, "spying on the city from the hillside."

" For the last time, I wasn't spying!" Curia said, " I come here from the Capital. I have fled from Aixela and I seek refuge in your resistance."

The man in the throne perked up at once.

" Aixela? Did you say Aixela?"

" Yes," Curia replied.

" Leave us," Nairb said to the soldiers, waving his hand.

The soldiers bowed down slightly and left. Curia could distinctly hear the voice of Patronus on the other side complaining about sleep. Nairb leaned forward on his high throne.

" What is your name?" he asked.

" Curia."

" Uh-huh. Daughter of Teenagria I presume?"

" Well—yes. But how do you know my father?"

Nairb was silent for a moment, "How much has your father told you of his past?"

" Nothing really," Curia said, " he told me of his days in the resistance, before he was inhibited."

" Yes," Nairb said, " but how much as he told you about the resistance?"

Curia shrugged but was silent.

" Your father," Nairb said, rising from his throne and slowly descending the stairway towards Curia, " was a member of the Seven. Do you know what that is?"

Curia shook her head, " No."

" You see, during the Grand Resistance against Aixela there were seven independent kingdoms that united against her. These seven pooled their resources, military might, and economic and manufacturing capabilities. Your father was leader of the Cloner kingdom. Dare I say he was a great asset to our resistance. The fact that he could actually _build_ armies was of a great advantage to us. Your father was the subject of many assassination and kidnapping attempts. He escaped being killed hundreds of times and avoided all attempts at mind control that Aixela used against him. He turned away bribe after bribe from Aixela. He proved to be the strongest of the Seven, even as others began to betray the alliance.

" Thirteen years into the war the Seven became the Five as two of the allied kingdoms betrayed us. One of the betrayers betrayed your father by revealing his location to Aixela. Aixela then implanted him with a control chip. Your father, unbeknownst to himself, turned his Clone armies against us. Those that managed to escape fled here, to Notsob, one of the rebel settlements your father helped to found. As our power faded, Aixela lost interest in our plight and carried on a quasi-war against the Outer Lands for many years. About seven years ago the war all but ended though we still live in fear of Aixela's return.

" The efforts that your father made before being placed under Aixela's control was great and I only wish that Aixela had never gotten her hands on him. It was only two years after that that he was Inhibited."

Curia looked down at her feet, " Why have you told me this?"

" Did you not want to know?"

" It was good to hear," Curia said, " of my father's life before he was Inhibited. Now his brain is damaged beyond repair."

" Curia," Nairb asked, staring at Curia's forehead, " are you Inhibited?"

Curia massaged her temple, " Yes. For four years now."

" Come, quickly!" Nairb said, " we must remove it immediately."

" But how? It could kill me…."

" Come forth Curia!" Nairb said, pulling Curia forth by her arm.

" This will hurt," Nairb said.

Before Curia could protest, Nairb had pressed his hand to Curia's temple. The pain was fierce and Curia's vision blurred. Her breathing became labored as Nairb grasped for the small chip in her head. Searing pain shot through her back and spread through all the nerves in her body. The feeling in her arms disappeared, her legs went numb. She clawed through the air for anything that could hold her up but it was of no avail and she collapsed to the floor.

Muva looked down at the small screen. A small red dot had been blaring on the otherwise calm screen for the past few minutes. He stood so that his upper half emerged through the gunner's hatch of the tank and pressed binoculars to his face. He scanned the horizon in the direction of the small red blip.

" What is it sir?" asked a soldier named Bor.

" The beacon," Muva said.

" Where is it coming from sir?"

Muva smirked slightly as his eyes fell on the hazy outline of a city in the distance.

" Notsob. Prepare the army to move out, we move on Notsob at dusk."

Curia's eyes opened. She was still in Nairb's chamber, lying on her back and staring up at the vast ceiling above.

" I need you to lead this away from here," she heard Nairb saying to an unknown figure, "_far_ away from here. Take it as far from Notsob as possible."

" Yessir."

Curia heard the clumping of heavy boots disappearing down the empty corridor and the heavy, horse-adorned door closing.

" Are you alright Curia?"

Curia sat up, feeling her temple.

" Yes," she said, " but that hurt like hell."

Nairb had removed his cloak. He was dressed in Human clothing: tattered denim jeans that were stitched in many places and a shirt that was a collection of several that were stitched together. He had an animal-hide vest on over the human shirt. On his head he had a thin band that functioned as a humble crown.

" I have been through the process myself," he said, " I was inhibited during the resistance. I was lucky enough to have it removed before it caused any true damage. Come with me Curia, I wish to show you something."

Curia rose with some difficulty to her feet and followed Nairb. He walked up the stairs to his throne and turned the large seat so that it's back faced towards them. There was a low _clunk_ and the chair sank down inside the pyramid-shaped platform on which it stood. From where the throne had previously rested a staircase spiraled upwards towards the ceiling.

" Mind your step," Nairb said as he stepped onto the stairs.

Curia carefully stepped onto the stairway as it twisted upwards. It's pace quickened as they rose higher and higher above the ground. Nairb looked back at Curia as she looked down at the three pedestals that were slowly turning into small specks.

" Never fear Curia," Nair said, " it's not nearly as high as you think. We are almost there."

The stair finally slowed to a stop at the top step aligned with a broad platform that stood ominously over the room below. Nairb stepped carelessly off of the stairway onto the platform, Curia right behind him. Only moments after Curia's foot left the top step the stairway spun backward down towards the floor at a rapid speed. Nairb stepped forward to a wooden door at the end of the platform. Like the door to Nairb's chambers there was a golden horse head pushing through the wood towards them. The horse sprung instantly to life.

" Greetings Nairb," the horse said.

" Greetings Palinor," Nairb said patting the golden head.

" And who is this then?" Palinor asked, looking at Curia.

" She is Teenagria's daughter," Nairb said.

" Ah ha," Palinor said, " I thought I recognized the face. You look much like your father dear lady."

" Thank you," Curia said hesitantly.

" Well then Palinor," Nairb said pleasantly, " may we pass?"

" Oh, indeed my Lord," Palinor said.

The door creaked open and Nairb and Curia moved through. They emerged onto a long, narrow balcony that stretched off around the corner of the citadel. It was tremendously high and Curia felt as though her breath was stolen away as she stepped out onto it.

" Never fear, Curia," Nairb said again, " it's…."

" Let me guess," Curia said, " not as high as it seems?"

Nairb smiled, " Indeed. Come this way please."

Nairb led the way along the narrow balcony as it twisted and turned around the vastness of the citadel.

" May I ask you a question?" Curia asked.

" Of course," Nairb said.

" Why the horses?"

" Beg pardon?"

" The horses that…guard…the doors."

" Oh," Nairb said, " that was your father's idea actually. They serve as sentries. Only those who are not aligned with Aixela are allowed to pass them."

" So if Aixela got into the citadel," Curia said, " she wouldn't be able to pass doors guarded by those horses."

" No," Nairb said, a hint of uncertainty in his voice, " no."

Curia followed closely behind Nairb, catching brief glimpses out at the city below. It was smaller from above that it seemed as she sat on the hillside. To the west was a vast forest that seemed to go on, unbroken, forever towards the horizon. To the south spread a vast, black river that stood like a twist of glass through the landscape. Curia noticed that, as they progressed, the city seemed to grow farther and farther away. The narrow balcony seemed to be curving upwards slightly towards the peak of the citadel.

Nairb stopped at the very peak of the citadel which had a broad, open surface upon which they could stand. The city sprawled out beneath them but it seemed dwarfed by the sheer size of the building beneath their feet.

" Take a look around you Curia," Nairb said, " this is the last refuge of the Grand Resistance. The people who live behind these walls are the last members of the once grand seven-nation army."

Curia looked around the city, to the distance, " Surely there are others who will fight."

Nairb leaned against the railing that ran around the peak of the citadel.

" They are scattered and far from here. Aixela has made it her personal business to kill all those loyal to me."

" Are there no more resistance leaders?"

" There are two more, excluding your father."


End file.
